Sloan played college football at the University of Alabama under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant between 1962–1965. He arrived in Tuscaloosa in 1962, though was not eligible to play with the varsity team due to NCAA rules at the time. In his sophomore season, Sloan was a backup to quarterback Joe Namath, but played in most games at defensive back. Sloan quaterbacked the Tide's final regular season game and the Sugar Bowl when Bryant benched Namath for disciplinary reasons. The 1963 Crimson Tide went 9–2 with a 12–7 victory over Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.