Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne is not shying away from talking about Name, Image and Likeness.
In the midst of the NCAA football winter transfer portal window, Byrne released a statement recognizing "drastic changes in college athletics."
"We have been careful during this transitional period to protect our position at the top of college athletics while being mindful to listen, engage and learn from our generous supporters, proud alumni and unrivaled fans to make sure that we protect our great traditions here at Alabama," Byrne wrote in a statement. "But there's a time for talk and a time for action. Now is a time for action."
Byrne said Alabama has been "competitive from an NIL standpoint" but that other programs are trying to surpass the Crimson Tide .
"Our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL," Byrne said. "You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama. It is time for the Bama Nation to fight back."
Byrne then highlights "Yea Alabama," the university's NIL entity and how Crimson Tide fans can support Alabama athletics.
"At Alabama, we've not measured ourselves against our competition. We are the standard, and that measurement is against the mirror and against a rich and proud history, but it's impossible to ignore what is taking place in college athletics," Byrne said. "Hungry fan bases are acting decisively to give their respective programs competitive advantages. We must respond. We are Alabama."
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne calls for NIL 'surge' from Crimson Tide fans
