Shane Gilles Pokes Fun At Nick Saban, SEC Over Paying For Players

Friday evening marks the first game in the expanded college football playoff era, and just as everyone expected, it’s the Notre Dame Fighting Irish against the Indiana Hoosiers. 

After years of mediocrity, it’s a big step-up for Notre Dame to reach the playoff on the back of an 11-1 season, and comedian Shane Gillis has an explanation for why the Irish are on the verge of a truly special year. They can finally keep up with the SEC Conference by paying their players.

Gillis joined ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast from South Bend Friday afternoon, and took the opportunity to poke fun at the SEC and at new GameDay host and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban. 

“This feels different, it feels like we can win it,” Gillis said. “There’s some parity, now that everybody can pay their players. Notre Dame has a shot, it’s not just the SEC and Coach Saban.” 

Shots fired.

Nick Saban, ESPN GameDay commentator. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Nick Saban Not Thrilled About Shane Gillis Joke

Later on, when Gillis joined Saban at the GameDay panel desk, Pat McAfee pointed out: “You called him a cheater earlier,” to which Gillis deadpanned, “I was just joking around, I don’t think the SEC paid players, ever.”

After a few beats of awkward silence, Gilles repeated, “No, I was joking, is this not a fun show?” 

Saban, who clearly understood it was a joke, still defended himself, saying he didn’t run his program that way, that he tried to run it with integrity and they “cheated” by developing players into NFL stars.

It’s not exactly a secret that the SEC, and likely many other schools, was heavily involved in, uh, providing financial opportunities for top players and recruits. It just means more, after all. 

Gillis is a comedian though, and this is what comedians do. If anything, he should have kept going with it. At least he called Saban “Alabama Jones” for his bewildering hat choice.