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1h ago

Saban Tells Swinney to Adapt to Portal and NIL as Clemson Falls to 1-3

Public pressure on the longtime coach intensified after a 34-21 home loss to Syracuse, with sharp on-air criticism from ESPN voices.

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Overview

  • On ESPN's College GameDay, Nick Saban urged Dabo Swinney to reassess his approach, explicitly citing the transfer portal and name, image and likeness as areas that must evolve.
  • Clemson dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in ACC play with Saturday’s 34-21 defeat to Syracuse, following an opening loss to LSU and a narrow win over Troy.
  • ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show that Swinney should consider leaving Clemson or moving to television, arguing he has lost credibility with fans.
  • Swinney has resisted heavy portal use, telling ESPN in April that Clemson was “sitting back and watching,” and he has called for clearer NIL rules and a structured cap.
  • Saban has acknowledged NIL influenced his 2024 retirement decision, and Clemson now enters a bye week before visiting North Carolina on October 4.