Alabama has an opening in the question department.

For the first time in a decade, maybe longer, the primary question permeating the UA athletics scene is not “How much longer will Nick Saban coach?” The Alabama football legend provided that answer on Jan. 10 when he decided to call it a career at 72. So that underlying question is answered. What’s the new one?

In a town and state where sports talk fills conversations, there is sure to be a replacement. The natural contender: “How long will Nate Oats stay at Alabama?”

The more games Oats has won, the more SEC titles he has secured, the more NCAA Tournament berths he has earned, the louder the question has become. Soaking up the success has often been paired with a nice tall glass of unease; Fear and worry that Oats will achieve too much for the Crimson Tide to keep him.

Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne is doing his best to make the Oats question obsolete, though. The latest contract extension and raise squash the query for the next few years at minimum; Oats has become one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport with a buyout of $18 million if he leaves before April 1, 2026. Byrne said Monday it’s the highest in college basketball. That steep of a buyout is darn near prohibitive for another college program to hire him.

With Oats sticking around Tuscaloosa for the immediate future and likely longer, there’s a better question to move to the top of the list in Tuscaloosa.

What’s next for Alabama basketball to compete for a national championship and win the NCAA Tournament?

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Nate Oats contract and the commitment it shows with Alabama basketball

The latest extension for Oats only further shows he is committed to Alabama and Alabama is committed to him. His contract, which will pay him about $38 million over the next six seasons, is 100% guaranteed. That’s no small thing for UA to do for him. It’s a complete vote of confidence, especially at that price. And for Oats the fact he’s willing to agree to such a colossal buyout shows he’s not trying to go anywhere. He believes he can win here and he likes to be here.

Commitment, more often than not, proves to be a hollow word in college sports. It’s language used in press releases before a coach or school reverses course a couple years later.

That’s likely not the case here with Oats and Alabama. The actions of the respective parties don’t just say they’re committed. The contract shows it. Now how do Oats and Alabama basketball turn that commitment into a national championship?

Under Oats, Alabama has become an NBA feeder program. Over five seasons, UA has won two SEC regular-season championships and two SEC Tournaments. The Crimson Tide has gone 62-28 in SEC games. Alabama has made four consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Under Oats, the Crimson Tide is nationally relevant.

That’s all worth commending and no small accomplishment. Alabama hasn’t made it past the Sweet 16 under Oats, though. That means the next step is competing for national hardware.

No, basketball seasons especially can’t be measured as national-championship or bust. Winning the NCAA Tournament is nothing short of difficult, considering all it takes is one off night and your season is done. But Oats is the ultimate competitor. He craves knowledge to help Alabama improve every day and every season. There’s no doubt Oats wants to achieve more than what he has accomplished so far. He wants to keep building on it.

So, what will that take?

What's next to win an NCAA Tournament?

Ensuring Alabama can compete in today’s NIL landscape remains paramount. That means having the necessary NIL resources each year. It’s the reality of college sports right now. Folks don’t have to like it, but participation is necessary, if you want to win. If the Crimson Tide can offer not only an appealing system and the ability to develop for the NBA but also top NIL funds? The sky is the limit for attracting top players.

Also, continued facility upgrades will not only help in landing talent but also provide an environment to help those players grow.

Alabama needs the right people to be able to develop them, too. In addition to Oats, that means high quality assistants. It’s drawing them and keeping them. Some will leave for other opportunities to be a head coach as Austin Claunch just did, but the Crimson Tide needs to ensure opportunity is the only reason assistant coaches leave, not compensation.

It takes more than money to win, though. Alabama also needs to find a way to play consistent defense. Oats has had some elite defenses in his time, with the No. 3 defense per KenPom in both Sweet 16 seasons. The two others in the middle of those? No. 92 in 2021-22 and No. 112 this season. This season's defense almost certainly would have been significantly better had Charles Bediako stayed like originally planned as an elite rim protector, but overall defensive performance this season has not been up to Oats' standard. Ensuring Alabama has strong defense year in and year out will go a long way toward improving national-championship chances.

A serious pursuit of a national championship won’t be as simple as following these steps. Plenty else must fall into place for that to happen. But these are a few key actions that will strengthen the Crimson Tide’s ability to chase a national title.

Oats is sticking around. Alabama is committing to him. Now the two can figure out how to take the next step and make a deep run in March Madness.

Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Nate Oats, Alabama made clear commitment. What's next? | Kelly