While there’s still little known about President Donald Trump‘s commission on college sports — even co-chair Nick Saban remains in the dark — one of Saban’s former Alabama players has some interesting suggestions on how the still-yet-to-be-determined working group could address what’s currently ailing college football.

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy recently addressed the presidentially-mandated commission and proposed an array of fixes the commission could attempt to address both the NCAA Transfer Portal and NIL, as well as growing concern between the haves and have-nots within the sport. McElroy’s first fix is to reduce the time the transfer portal is open to a single month — May, specifically.

“I think if we were to limit the amount of time the portal was open, that’d calm things down quite a bit. … I think having the portal opened in the month of May is the best thing for the sport,” McElroy said on last week’s episode of his Always College Football podcast. “… But if we were to open it on May 1^st and close it on May 31^st, it would do a few different things for us. One, it’d keep college football in the news. … Think about how much traction we’d get in May if players were leaving one place and going to another. … Two, … I think if we move the portal window to May, there would be a renewed emphasis for programs across the country to put a higher priority on the high school talent that could join their roster in January, go through Spring, go through Winter workouts, go through Summer, and hopefully be ready to play come Fall. I want to see more focus on high school players getting opportunities as opposed to players on their fourth school in five years.”

McElroy also suggested the single, post-Spring portal window would limit the sheer number of portal entries and, as such, limit coaches from “poaching off other rosters” because by May, most coaches will likely have a better hold on what their roster will look like in the Fall. According to On3’s latest numbers, of the 4,000-plus players that have entered the portal since the end of the 2024 season, only a little more than 2,400 have committed to new homes — with roughly two out of every five transfers still in the portal.

According to McElroy, the later portal window would also limit emotional decisions being made immediately after the season, citing his own career as an example. Had the portal been around when he was at Alabama, McElroy admitted he would have entertained leaving following the late 2006 firing of former coach Mike Shula. Of course, had McElroy done that, he would have missed out on playing under Saban, who was hired away from the Miami Dolphins more than a month later in early January 2007.

“Had I jumped in the portal, would I have been able to play for Nick Saban and lead Alabama to a national championship as their starting quarterback in 2009? Probably not,” McElroy said. “I would have made an emotional decision that I would’ve regretted for the rest of my life. … I think moving the portal from May 1^st to May 31^st would be an amazing move for college football, and I think this commission could potentially do that.”

Greg McElroy proposes presidential commission address NIL inequities with universial contract language

With the portal problem potentially solved, McElroy turned his attention to NIL, suggesting the commission develop universal contract language in NIL deals that wouldn’t allow schools to take advantage of favorable state laws. If that’s not possible, McElroy is hopeful the commission could help establish buyout language that would let schools recoup money should a player opt to leave before fulfilling the full term of their NIL agreements.

“It doesn’t have to be a massive hurdle for these players to move from school to school, but there’s a little one,” McElroy explained.

Last but not least, McElroy also proposed creating subsidies for less lucrative programs, like those from the Group of Six or even lower levels, many of whom are contemplating whether or not they can still field a football program in the day and age of NIL.

“We need to figure out a way to subsidize those schools,” McElroy said. “And if that means taking just a sliver of the College Football Playoff revenue, then by all means let’s do it.”

Of course, based on the current state of college athletics, where Florida State and North Carolina sued the ACC because they weren’t receiving equitable revenue compared to that of similar Big Ten or SEC teams, it’s unlikely any of the Power Four leagues would agree to such financial giveaways.

Nevertheless, McElroy clearly had some potential game-changing ideas, many of which might even be given serious consideration by the commission. But whether or not the presidential commission has any power to actually implement any of McElroy’s proposals without facing the threat of anti-trust litigation is unclear, especially given the working group is still in its infancy.

Two-time SEC defensive player of the year Zakai Zeigler is suing the NCAA over rules limiting him to four seasons in a five-year window as an unlawful restraint of trade under both federal and Tennessee laws.

Zeigler’s lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The point guard played four seasons at Tennessee, leading the Volunteers to consecutive Elite Eight berths before graduating earlier this month.

The Vols went 109-36 during Zeigler’s time with the school. He was a third-team All-American this season, which ended with Tennessee’s loss to eventual national runner-up Houston in the Elite Eight.

“We have requested a preliminary injunction to allow Zakai to compete in the upcoming season while pursuing his graduate studies,” according to a statement from the Garza Law Firm and Litson PLLC. “We look forward to a swift resolution of this matter so that Zakai can begin preparing for next season.”

The NCAA said in a statement the association fully supports athletes profiting from name, image and likeness along with other benefits and is working for such reforms, which includes a proposed $2.8 billion settlement of an antitrust lawsuit.

“A patchwork of different state laws, executive orders and court opinions make it challenging for any league to operate on a fair playing field, including at the conference level and that’s why partnering with Congress to develop a national standard would provide stability for student-athletes and schools everywhere,” the NCAA said.

This latest lawsuit against the NCAA notes Zeigler “diligently completed his undergraduate degree in four years” and graduated this month. That makes Zeigler’s lawsuit different from athletes who started careers at junior colleges or lower-division NCAA schools and are seeking a fifth season.

Yet the NCAA rule limiting athletes to four seasons during a five-year window keeps Zeigler from playing a fifth season and earning NIL money in “the most lucrative year of the eligibility window for the vast majority of athletes,” according to the lawsuit.

How much could Zeigler earn in a fifth season with the Vols? The lawsuit says between $2 million and $4 million for 2025-26, given his record and visibility playing in the SEC and based on projections from the Spyre Sports Group, the NIL collective associated with the university.

Athletes who redshirt or take five years to finish an undergraduate degree can earn NIL money each of their five years. The lawsuit also points to the NCAA’s redshirt system controlling who gets access to a fifth year of eligibility.

The lawsuit asks that the NCAA rule be declared a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act and Tennessee’s Trade Practices Act.

If Zeigler were to win the lawsuit, it would set an unprecedented standard for athletes pursuing a fifth season of eligibility. Just six months ago, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, arguing his junior college eligibility should not count against his Division I eligibility. Like in Zeigler’s case, the argument centered around the NCAA placing a cap on his potential NIL compensation.

A judge granted Pavia a preliminary injunction, allowing him an extra year of eligibility, which he is set to use in the upcoming 2025 college football season. 

This is a developing story.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Last Updated on May 21, 2025

Syracuse head football coach Fran Brown has become the first coach to sign with Network, a sports marketing agency. While high school and collegiate athletes build their brands to capitalize on name, image, and likeness opportunities during their playing careers and beyond, Brown has taken a similar approach as a coach.

Brown believes Network will be instrumental in helping build his brand off the field.

“I’m thrilled to work with Network and take the next step in building my personal brand, exploring new partnership opportunities and business ventures,” the Syracuse coach said.

Brown’s coaching philosophy has been essential to his success on the field and in his brand. He is well known for characterizing the acronym D.A.R.T., which stands for detailed, accountable, relentless, and tough. Network collaborated with Brown to produce merchandise with the acronym he sported on the sideline at the Orange’s Spring Game. The idea of Network partnering with a coach came from legendary sports agent David Falk.

“When we started Network, we weren’t pretending to, nor considering to get into the coaching world,” Network’s Chief Strategy Officer Doug Scott told Front Office Sports. “It really was the energy and essence of who Fran was, to where we decided that, yes, this is somebody that we really want to see be successful. And we think there’s a little bit of a void in the marketplace right now.”

Additionally, Coach Brown has gone viral on social media for his wildly entertaining quotes during his interviews. One in particular that had the college football buzzing was when he revealed how he handles losing football games.

“Like, when we lose, I ain’t even get in the shower til earlier this morning,” Brown told CBS Sports. “I just be mad. I just brush my teeth. It’s like I don’t deserve soap. I don’t deserve to do all that.

“Winners get washed,” he added. “I’m a loser, so I just kinda waited a little bit.”

Regardless of how you feel about how Brown holds himself accountable, he is authentic and holds himself and his players to a high standard of excellence. Syracuse finished 10-3 last season and capped off the 2024 season with a 52-35 victory over Washington State in the DIRECTV Holiday victory.

Like many college football coaches in the NIL era, Brown has been outspoken about how players navigate NIL and the transfer portal. Brown has voiced his opinions about how there should only be one portal period for players to transfer and how players should set aside a portion of their NIL earnings. Beyond Brown’s pursuit of expanding his brand, he hopes to have a continued influence over the evolving landscape of college athletics.

A familiar face will return to Allen Fieldhouse next season as a member of Bill Self’s staff. Jacque Vaughn has accepted a position on Self’s coaching staff. He will serve as an assistant coach and will fill the role vacated by Norm Roberts.

Vaughn — whose No. 11 jersey is retired by KU — will join the KU staff with over 10 years of coaching experience in the NBA, including two stints as a head coach. Vaughn most recently served as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets between 2022 and 2024. During his time coaching in the NBA, Vaughn worked for the San Antonio Spurs (assistant coach), Orlando Magic (head coach) and the Brooklyn Nets (assistant coach and later head coach).

“We’re very excited to welcome Jacque and (his wife) Laura into the fold,” Self said in a release. “I’ve known Jacque from a distance for several years now and have always admired how he has conducted himself professionally and how he has treated people. I think he will be an excellent addition to our program, while also serving as a great mentor, coach and representative of Kansas basketball. We lost an awesome coach in Norm (Roberts) when he retired but feel very fortunate to have replaced him with a tremendous Jayhawk that has a unique and impressive resume.”

As a player, Vaughn remains one of the greatest point guards to ever play at KU. He ended his KU career as the program’s all-time assist leader with 804 assists. At the time that also was the record in the Big Eight conference. He was a second-team All-American as a senior.

Vaughn was selected in the first round of the 1997 NBA Draft. He spent nine years in the NBA before he moved into coaching.

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Zakai Zeigler has never backed down on the court. Now, he’s taking his toughest shot yet—this time, at the NCAA.

The former Tennessee Volunteers star is suing college sports’ governing body, challenging a rule that he says unfairly blocks him from returning for a fifth season. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, argues that the NCAA’s “Four-Seasons Rule” is not only arbitrary but costly—potentially to the tune of $2 to $4 million in NIL earnings.

“This valuation reflects the market value of an upperclassman with a proven performance record and high visibility,” the complaint reads, citing projections from Spyre Sports Group, Tennessee’s NIL collective.

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Zeigler, who averaged 13.6 points and a league-leading 7.4 assists last season, led Tennessee to a second straight Elite Eight. He became the program’s all-time assists leader and the first SEC player ever to log 1,550 points, 700 assists, 350 rebounds, and 250 steals. Despite his accolades, Zeigler didn’t receive an invite to the NBA Draft Combine or G League Elite Camp.

Now, he wants to return to college hoops—and cash in on his peak value.

The suit takes aim at the NCAA’s policy that allows student-athletes five calendar years to play four seasons—unless they redshirt. Zeigler, who never redshirted, argues that this system unfairly penalizes players for choices made by coaches, not students.

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“All NCAA athletes should be eligible to compete and earn NIL compensation during each year of the five-year window—not just those selected to redshirt,” the complaint states.

Zeigler is represented by Litson PLLC and Garza Law Firm. The legal team is pushing for an injunction to let him play during the 2025–2026 season while pursuing a graduate degree.

“This is about fairness,” one NIL advisor familiar with the case said. “Zakai isn’t asking for extra eligibility—he’s asking to use the window the NCAA already gives, just like everyone else.”

If the court rules in Zeigler’s favor, the implications could rock the NCAA and redefine the market for upperclassmen athletes overnight.

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