Nick Saban Makes Major Accusation About Transfer Portal Tampering

College football is finally here, and legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban has joined ESPN's College Game Day program as an analyst. In his first appearance on the show on Saturday, he was asked about the transfer portal's evolution and the sport's future.

Saban explained that introducing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights in the sport has transformed teams' ability to add talent through the transfer portal and has created a new world of "free agency" in college football.

This new era of player movement has led to claims of tampering from some teams and coaches, including Miami OH head coach Chuck Martin, who said the Crimson Tide "stole" kicker Graham Nicholson from his program earlier this week.

However, Saban said teams were attempting to poach talent from Alabama after his retirement earlier this offseason.

"When I retired, there were people camped out at Tuscaloosa to get players to go in the portal," Saban said. "So, if they wanted to look at somebody tampering, they should've done a little investigation right there."

Some notable players to transfer out of Alabama this year include wide receiver Isaiah Bond (Texas), center Seth McLaughlin (Ohio State), and safety Caleb Downs. Offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor also briefly defected to Iowa before returning to Tuscaloosa.

However, the Crimson Tide added plenty of talent in the transfer portal this year, and Kalen DeBoer has done an excellent job of roster building in his early days as the new Alabama head coach.

Related: Nick Saban Made His Thoughts on Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders Extremely Clear