MIAMI — Commentary about Miami billionaire and Hurricanes fan John Ruiz’s ambitious ongoing strategy to capitalize on the NCAA’s name, image and likeness rules and — in the process — help boost the UM sports program had largely been limited to media and fans.
But then Alabama coach Nick Saban opened his mouth on Wednesday, referencing Ruiz without specifically mentioning his name.
“These guys at Miami that are going to play basketball there for $400,000, that’s in the newspaper,” Saban said. “The guy tells you how he’s doing it. But the NCAA can’t enforce their rules because it’s not against the law, and that’s an issue, that’s a problem. And unless we get something that protects them from litigation, I don’t know what we’re going to do about it.”
Saban was talking about Miami snagging Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack, one of the most coveted basketball players in this offseason’s transfer portal.
What did Ruiz first think when he heard Saban’s comments?
“Shocked, shocked that somebody in the business for such a long time and on top of his game was totally clueless of what all of this means,” Ruiz said Friday in a phone conversation with the Miami Herald. “He basically said, ‘I’m losing my market dominance because of everything that is going on and then starts … throwing everyone under the bus.”
Ruiz — who has given NIL deals to more than 110 UM student-athletes — was just getting started.
“This was a very, very poor display of judgment and character,” Ruiz said of Saban’s rant at a speaking event in Birmingham, Ala. “It felt like a little teenager whining about why previously they had free reign and all of a sudden when you level the playing field [it changes for Saban]. It was very ugly of him.
“It’s totally inappropriate the way he conducted himself and handled everything. More egregious is the very statements he made contained multiple NCAA violations of how he is involved in the process of the collectives and speaking to the kids about it and getting the kids involved.
“He was asking for collectives to be formed and provide payments to players because they would be at a disadvantage competitively [otherwise]. That is not what the NIL laws are designed to accomplish.”
On Twitter, Ruiz said: “Saban’s statements contain numerous admissions that he and the school violate NCAA rules by involving themselves in the players’ NIL deals!”
Saban’s comments about Miami were the secondary story, well behind Saban’s remark that Texas A&M “bought every player on their team,” prompting Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher to call Saban a “narcissist.”
Fisher called Saban’s comments “despicable” and added that “there’s a reason I ain’t went back and worked for him, with opportunities. I don’t want to be associated with him…
“Some people think they’re God,” Fisher continued. “Go dig into how God did His deal. You may find out about a guy, a lot of things you don’t want to know.. Go dig into his past or anybody who’s ever coached with him. You can find out anything you want to find out what he does and how he does it.”
Ruiz approved of Fisher’s response.
“I thought Jimbo handled himself very well, [basically saying], I know a lot about things you do. But he didn’t throw him under the bus” by revealing those things.
Ruiz has consistently said that his deals with UM student-athletes — all of which have been approved by UM’s compliance department – isn’t pay-to-play but pay-to-work, because all of those players must fulfill commitments to promote his companies, LifeWallet and Cigarette Racing. Those responsibilities include Friday video tapings.
Ruiz said that on a weekly basis, he is being contacted by “hundreds of lawyers, agents and players directly that want NIL deals and that’s because they see how we treat the players and the players have incredible experiences.”
Ruiz has begun giving NIL deals to non-UM players, including several at Florida and FIU, Southern Mississippi running back Frank Gore Jr. and Rice defensive back Gabe Taylor, brother of legendary former UM safety Sean Taylor, who died in 2007.
Though he wants UM to be successful on the field, he reiterated what matters most to him is that players get an education and are positioned to be successful in life.
“That’s why I will give NIL deals to long snappers and punters and kickers,” he said. “I am giving deals to underdogs that are unlikely to make it to the pros. But I like that. I want to bring recognition to all these players that have never received recognition.”
Ruiz revealed that he has extended an NIL offer “to every long snapper in the country [at 130 FBS schools]” and that he has appointed UM long snapper Clay James as “president of the Long Snapper Club.”
Ruiz said his people have “have reached out to the Guinness Book of World Records” to try to achieve the longest “continuous long snap in the history of the world.”
That will be accomplished, he said, by having many or all of the FBS long snappers come to DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale — the temporary home of Inter Miami — this summer and “snap to each other and once the ball is snapped, he snaps to the next one.”
Ruiz also explained his thinking with the two-year, $800,000 deal for Pack, the one referenced by Saban.
“I felt the amount of money was warranted; it was a business decision,” he said, noting he thought it “would be very good deal for Nijel, LifeWallet and Cigarette and it turned out to be spectacular. That put LifeWallet on the map big time. I’m proud of what I’m doing and the staff. I take great satisfaction in making family and kids [happy].”
Ruiz addressed other issues:
— Ruiz has a good relationship with Inter Miami owners Jorge and Jose Mas — whose recently-approved MLS stadium in Miami has been floated by a city commissioner as possible UM football stadium — but said he will continue to pursue his own UM football stadium project at Tropical Park.
UM athletic director Dan Radakovich has said the school is open to considering anything, though its lease with Hard Rock Stadium runs through 2033.
“I’ve known the Mas brothers for a long time,” Ruiz said. “They’re top-notch people. Cuban-Americans, have made it the hard way, super hard workers, stellar people in their community.
“My [stadium] view is very expensive. I want to do things for Dade-County schools because I know a lot of schools don’t have football fields.
“We’re still pursuing Tropical Park. We are supposed to in August have a pretty big event showing how that will look. But like anything else in life, you have to weigh options. I’m not making that decision by myself. I want to do whatever is best for the program.
“UM should be able to house more students and open up the university for undergrad or law school. At Tropical Park, we can accomplish that.”
— Ruiz said he never had any contact with former UCF receiver Jaylon Robinson or his reps. Robinson was a top Canes target who chose Tennessee over UM and two other schools last week.
— He said one UM player who recently received an NIL from his companies had just $27 in his bank account when he signed a deal with Ruiz that topped $50,000.
