Former Alabama coach Nick Saban addressed his recent meeting with President Donald Trump about fixing NIL issues in college sports, as well as rumors of a commission that he would be involved with.
In an appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show” Wednesday, Saban downplayed his role in addressing college football’s NIL issues. He suggested that a commission might not even be a necessary step, and said he only wanted to help whoever takes the lead in fixing the situation.
“I don’t know a lot about the commission, first of all. Secondly, I’m not sure we really need a commission,” Saban said. “A lot of people know exactly what the issues are in college football and exactly what we need to do to fix them. I think the key to the drill is getting people together so that we can move it forward.”
Saban reiterated that he believes the current system is not sustainable, nor is it beneficial to players or schools.
“I don’t think I should be at the tip (of the spear),” Saban said. “I think I’m someone who has lots of experience, and certainly would like to help anyone who would seek our help to try to help fix it.”
Nick Saban on his recent talks with the White House about a potential commission on college sports.
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) May 14, 2025
"I don't think I should be the tip of the spear…I would just like to help anyone who seeks to fix it." pic.twitter.com/DNoUS1LMI1
A report last week suggested that President Trump plans to create a commission on college athletics, with Saban as one of its co-leaders. Saban and Trump also reportedly met when Trump addressed Alabama’s commencement ceremony at the beginning of the month. Saban is being tight-lipped on that possibility, nor does he sound terribly interested in leading the charge at the federal level to reform NIL rules.
Saban has a long history of calling for NIL reform and has spoken negatively about the state of college football since his retirement. He certainly seems likely to have some role in plans for the sport’s future, no matter what he would refer to it as.
