On Monday, Nick Saban was asked about the importance of playing college football this year. The Alabama head coach says playing this fall is not about driving revenue for the athletic departments, but instead providing an opportunity for the players.

“Everybody acts like we want to play for the money,” he said, according to ESPN on Monday. “We want to play for the players. I want to play for the players.”

Though the Big Ten and Pac 12 have already decided not to play a season this fall, the ACC, SEC and Big 12 keep pushing forward. The ACC will kick off the season on Sept. 10 as Miami host a home game, while Clemson will play at Wake Forest on Sept. 12.

The Big 12 will play non-conference games on Sept. 12, but will not start conference play until Sept. 26, the same day the SEC begins with a 10-game conference only-season.

“I look at it as if it’s important that we have something or someone, some organizational body who can bring everybody together,” Saban said. “And I don’t know if that’s a commissioner, if it’s some council. I don’t know if it’s a committee someplace. I really don’t know the best way to do that. But I do think that it would benefit college football if the five major conferences could always sort of come together on what’s best for college football.

“I’m not saying they don’t all have those intentions. They do. But sometimes they don’t all sort of marry up, which is kind of the situation that we have this year.”

But as of right now, the players on 76 FBS teams still have an opportunity to show what they can do and try to impress NFL scouts and help shape their futures. After all, that’s what college is for.

“For sure, that has definitely been in my mind all the time,” Clemson wide receiver Amari Rodgers said after Tuesday’s practice. “That is really what has motivated me through the grind of the off-season, just knowing that it is my last year. All through the off-season, I knew I had to ball out pretty much. I know that, so when the time comes, I will be ready with my team to go out there and play.”

Rodgers says he and his Clemson teammates are not thinking about any scenario that involves not playing.

“I am in the moment right now. We are playing, so I am locked in. I am ready to play in two weeks,” he said.

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