‘I don’t really know’ what presidential commission on college athletics would do

While speaking with the media on Wednesday at the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, former Alabama football coach Nick Saban said he wasn’t sure what the rumored presidential commission on college athletics would be tasked with doing.

Saban, who is reportedly set to co-chair the commission after recently meeting with President Donald Trump, emphasized his commitment to help college football be better.

“To be honest with you, I don’t really know much about this commission. I don’t really know what this commission would do,” Saban told reporters. “You know, I think we know what needs to be done, I just think we’ve got to figure out who’s got the will to do it.”

“I learned one thing about coaching for all these years, that, you know, when you get into a subject like this, that’s very complex. It’s probably good not to talk about it off the cuff,” he continued. “So, I’ll find out more about it, and if there’s something I can do to help college football be better, I’m always going to be committed to do that. I was committed to do that as a coach, to help players be more successful in life, and I would continue to do the same thing now.”

Saban left Alabama’s head coaching gig abruptly in January 2024. He later cited the landscape of college football with NIL, the transfer portal and other aspects for retiring.

The legendary coach reportedly told Trump that he believed the influx of money had damaged college sports.

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