In Tuscaloosa, winning still isn’t enough. Alabama football just posted a playoff appearance and an 11-win season, but the conversation around head coach Kalen DeBoer is anything but celebratory. Two years after Nick Saban’s retirement, the Crimson Tide are still chasing not just wins, but reassurance-and DeBoer is squarely in the crosshairs of that pursuit.
Financially, Alabama football remains the engine that powers the entire athletic department. According to newly released figures, the program generated more than $64 million in profit during the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Men’s basketball added another $9 million to the ledger. But beyond those two, the numbers take a steep dive: women’s basketball posted a $4.7 million loss, and baseball wasn’t far behind at $4.5 million in the red.
Bottom line-football is the financial lifeline in Tuscaloosa. Yet the head coach of that very program finds himself on increasingly shaky ground.
The pressure isn’t just coming from fans. National voices are weighing in, and they’re not pulling punches.
Paul Finebaum, speaking on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, pointed to Alabama’s post-playoff slide as a red flag. “Everything has seemingly gone wrong since then,” he said, referencing the team’s win over Oklahoma in the playoff opener.
That momentum came to a screeching halt in the Rose Bowl, where Alabama was outclassed by Indiana in a loss that did more than end a season-it triggered a cascade of setbacks.
Key assistants departed. Several top players declared for the NFL.
Recruiting, which had been trending upward, suddenly lost steam. For a program that prides itself on continuity and dominance, it was a jarring reversal.
CBS Sports graded DeBoer’s second year as a C+. That’s despite a playoff win and 20 victories over two seasons.
The reasoning? Alabama, in their view, is “miles away” from the title-contending juggernaut they were under Saban.
And while that may seem harsh, the silence around contract extension talks speaks volumes. In a place where football is king and results are currency, a lukewarm grade paired with stalled negotiations suggests that the administration isn’t sold on the current direction.
Looking ahead, the challenges only get tougher. Alabama is slated to begin a home-and-home series with Ohio State starting in 2027.
But according to Finebaum, that matchup may never happen. Speaking to 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, he said he “sincerely doubts” the series goes forward, citing what he’s heard from Alabama athletic director Ross Bjork.
“He’s got a shaky situation there anyway with a coach that is in trouble,” Finebaum added.
That uncertainty is compounded by the SEC’s looming move to a nine-game conference schedule. It’s a shift that makes marquee nonconference games more of a liability than a draw-especially for programs trying to navigate internal instability.
DeBoer now enters Year 3 with a roster that’s heavy on youth and light on experience. That’s a stark contrast to the Indiana team that just won it all with a veteran core that knew how to close out big games.
Alabama’s current roster doesn’t have that kind of seasoning, and in Tuscaloosa, there’s no grading on a curve. Expectations are absolute.
So while Alabama football continues to bankroll the entire athletic department, the man leading the charge finds himself under more scrutiny than ever. The wins are there.
The money is flowing. But in a town where the standard is nothing short of championship excellence, Kalen DeBoer still hasn’t convinced everyone he’s the guy to keep the dynasty alive.