Alabama’s $7.2M Contract Decision on Nate Oats Leaves NCAA World Polarised

Nate Oats’ Increased Salary Draws Mixed Opinion

“Give this man the arena, NIL, and lifetime contract he rightfully deserves!” wrote a fan. “Worth it, I don’t care,” pitched in another. Oats led Alabama to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, where the Crimson Tide lost to Michigan 90-77 on March 27.

Alabama reached the Elite Eight each of the previous two years. They also reached the Final Four in 2024, where it lost to UConn. Oats is 170-73 in seven seasons at Alabama with six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. For context, before Oats, Alabama reached March Madness 2 times in 13 years.

But he did that with limited money. Alabama’s roster in 2025-26 cost about $8 million in revenue sharing and NIL, according to reports. By comparison, Kentucky spent $22 million, Duke spent $12 million and BYU spent $13 million. They were well below the SEC average of $9.25 million. However, like he demanded a month ago, Oats’ budget is reportedly set to soar towards $12 million. Yet, not everyone is sold on Oats and his worth.

“Bad. Results are good. But the team is a bunch of thugs. No discipline whatsoever,” wrote a fan. “Is he really that good of a coach? Or just a great used car salesman?” Asked another

Oats and Alabama have long been accused of cultivating a toxic culture at the program. They have taken the villain role in college ball. Star point guard Aden Holloway was arrested on two charges: Illegal possession of prescription drugs and the use/possession of drug paraphernalia. Police found a little over two pounds of marijuana in Holloway’s apartment, according to AL.com.

Yet, Oats backed him. He said that the behaviour was “disappointing” but maintained that he is “still our guy. We’re helping him get the help that he needs and we’re gonna continue to help him whatever way we can.” That further drew criticism. In addition, Oats signed Charles Bediako, a former NBA draftee, which angered the college basketball world. He played 5 games before Alabama lost his case for eligibility in court. These are just two examples where Oats was not portrayed in the best light. But beyond his character, Oats’ salary is also looking inflated to some.

“Unsustainable!” Wrote hoops analyst Seth Davis. Oats is one of the top 5 highest-paid coaches in the country, only behind Bill Self ($8.85 million), UConn’s Dan Hurley ($8.02M), and Arkansas’ John Calipari ($7.75M). All 4 are arguably more established than Oats. In addition, if the program is losing this amount of money on just their coach, they are compromising on their budget with the players. For now, it seems they are flush with cash.

According to AL.com, the Crimson Tide reported the biggest surplus of the 15 public SEC schools in 2025, coming at $32.7 million. For now, they can afford Oats contract. But, they are betting that their revenue will keep up for this to be affordable. If Alabama keeps winning, the noise fades. But if they don’t, this $7.2M bet could age very quickly.