Nick Saban shrugs at Trump's 'commission' after Texas Tech billionaire meeting

Last week, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Texas Tech donor Cody Campbell reportedly met to discuss plans for the college sports commission. The commission was first announced when President Donald Trump delivered the commencement speech at Alabama a few weeks back.

Although it's still just an idea at this point, the commission's purpose would be to examine the landscape of college sports, player movement within the transfer portal, and unregulated NIL payments to student-athletes.

Nick Saban and Texas billionaire Cody Campbell met in person today to discuss the presidential commission on college sports, a source tells @CBSSports. The conversation was positive, and the expectation is Saban will be involved.
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) May 16, 2025

But there seems to be some mixed messaging in terms of Saban's involvement with the proposed commission. In fact, Saban recently indicated that he doesn't see the need for a commission at all.

“I know there’s been a lot of stuff out there about some commission or whatever. I don’t think we need a commission. I’ve said that before,” Saban said on Tuesday. “I think we need — we know what the issues are, we just have to have people who are willing to move those and solve those and create some solutions for some of those issues. I’m all for being a consultant to anybody who would think that my experience would be beneficial to helping create some of those solutions.

“I know President Trump is very interested in athletics. He’s very interested in college athletics. He’s very interested in maintaining the idea that people go to college to create value for the future in terms of how they develop as people, students, graduation rate as well as having a balanced, competitive playing field. If I can be a consultant to anyone who might be able to help the future of college athletics, I would be more than happy to do that.”

It would seem most are in agreement that the current state of college athletics is unsustainable. With very little regulation regarding the transfer portal and NIL, it almost feels as if you're watching college sports operate as a rudderless ship. While there's no question that student-athletes deserve the freedom to change schools and to earn income from their Name, Image, and Likeness, the lack of any guardrails has created an environment that cultivates tampering and pay-for-play.

“I’m not opposed to players making money, I don’t want anybody to think that," Saban said. "I just think the system that we are using, the way it’s going right now is not sustainable, and probably not in the best interest of the student-athletes across the board or the game itself. I think we need to protect the brand, and the competitive advantages and disadvantages that are being created right now, and I think we can fix all that. But I think we know how to do it, and not just me but a lot of people. We just have to get everybody together to do it.”

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