Saban: 'We need to have same rules in all [Power 5] leagues'

Alabama coach Nick Saban has had a lot to say this offseason about various issues in the world of college football. He addressed a few more at Tuesday’s SEC meetings.

One issue in particular – satellite camps – have been hotly debated over the past few years with Big Ten coaches attending camps in the South. While again addressing the camps, Saban also grouped in graduate transfers.

“Let me say this, in general about rules, whether it's transfer rules, whether it's camp rules, whether it's any rules, we need to have the same rules in the Big 5 in all the leagues, all five leagues,” Saban said per 247Sports.com. “If we're going to compete for the championship and everybody's going to play in the playoff system and everybody's going to compete for that, then we need to get our rules in alignment so we're all on a level playing field, whether they're transfer rules, whether they're satellite camps.

The SEC has stricter rules when it comes to satellite camps and graduate transfers compared to other Power 5 conferences. SEC coaches, including Saban, have spoken out against the practice in which coaching staffs (looking at you, Penn State and Michigan) are “guests” at camps hosted by other schools.

The NCAA prohibits schools from hosting camps more than 50 miles from their own campus, but participating in camps as guests is a convenient loophole that SEC coaches are barred (by league rules) from taking advantage of.

Additionally, when it comes to graduate transfers in the SEC, student-athletes must meet certain criterion, including no disciplinary issues at prior institutions. This most recently came up with the transfer of former Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson, who missed the entire 2013 season due to academic violations. He was linked to several SEC schools for his final season of eligibility, but landed at Florida State.

Saban thinks the rules on these issues should be the same across the board – with no exceptions.

"It's a disadvantage not to be able to do something in one league and be able to do it in another,” Saban said per Al.com. “It's a disadvantage to be able to recruit a player in one league and not be able to do it in another. And it's also a disadvantage if you start bringing up things like if a player gets suspended or whatever from one school, he can't transfer to another. Well, these things need to be global; otherwise we're going to become a farm system for all the other leagues.”

The ACC has aligned with the SEC on its satellite camps stance, while the Big Ten, Pac 12 and Big 12 continue to allow the practice. It doesn’t look like the bickering on this issue will end any time soon.

For more Alabama news, visit TideSports.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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