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Nick Saban pumps brakes on NIL commission, reveals talk with Donald Trump

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8 months ago

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Nick Saban pumps brakes on NIL commission, reveals talk with Donald Trump

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban on Wednesday questioned the need for a national commission on college sports that he is expected to co-chair.

Last week, CBS Sports confirmed Saban and Texas Tech’s NIL collective founder Cody Campbell were jointly expected to lead the commission that would be created by President Donald Trump to influence the future structure of college athletics.

“I don’t know a lot about the commission, first of all,” Saban told The Paul Finebaum Show. “Secondly, I’m not sure we need a commission. I think 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 to move it forward.”

But Saban later told Finebaum that, “I don’t think I should be at the tip [of the spear]. I think I’m someone that has lots of experience and certainly would like to help anyone who would seek our help to try to help fix it. Because I spent my whole life — 50 years — trying to help players be more successful in life. I want to see us continue to be able to do that, not just in football but in all sports across the board.”

Saban met with Trump after the President visited Tuscaloosa on May 1 to give a commencement speech for Alabama graduates. The meeting also involved Alabama Senator and former SEC coach Tommy Tuberville, who told Tide 100.9 radio last month that “Trump wants to help on this NIL,” but added, “I don’t know how he can do it through an executive order.”

Saban told Finebaum that Trump told him, “all my friends are saying college football is really messed up. Let’s get together so we can figure out how to fix it.”

After the meeting, the Wall Street Journal reported Trump was considering an executive order involving NIL in college sports.

As for the commission, which was also reported in the days following the meeting, Saban told reporters Wednesday morning, “To be honest with you, I don’t really know much about this commission. I don’t really know what this commission would do. 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 when you get into a subject like this that’s very complex, it’s probably good not to talk about it off the cuff.

“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 told Finebaum the meeting with Trump was “how this all started,” but, “I really don’t want to get into the whole implementation of what I would do.”

He then provided a few ideas of what he would propose.

“The first thing is everybody’s got a different state law, which creates advantages and disadvantages,” Saban said. “Everybody is trying to create advantages. Probably need an interstate commerce type something that gets it all there.

“I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the players to necessarily be employees. And I think authentic name, image and likeness is good for players, but I don’t think pay-for-play is necessarily what we want. What is college? We all went to college to create value for our future. I think we want to keep some semblance of that in terms of guys becoming and developing as people and students, and developing a career off the field, as well as having an ability to play at the next level. We’ve got to have a system that enhances all three of those.”

Saban, Tuberville and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey were among the golfers at Wednesday’s Regions Tradition Pro-Am in Hoover, Alabama.

Said Sankey to Finebaum on the commission: “I think what’s important to remember is that’s a lot of ‘sources say.’ I deal with reality. There’s plenty of commentary about this possible commission. I’ll go back to the work we’ve been doing educate House and Senate members. I know the President of the United States is an enormous sports fan. He’s been at our games. Last year the Georgia game in Tuscaloosa for the University of Alabama. He’s been at national championship games in January 2018 and January 2020 involving our teams. He’s been back then at a regular-season game.

“So I know he’s aware. I’m not gonna overreact or react to what’s reported about commissions. I think there are a lot of wise people who can provide input. Hopefully people come to me for counsel from time to time. But what I do focus on is our realities, which is we’ll continue to work through Congress because that’s an opportunity to set national standards. We need Democrats and Republicans to do the really hard work they do every day, but also to come together around college sports — our Olympic movement, our non-revenue sports, around supporting a structure of regulatory common sense for college athletics that provides economic opportunities for young people. We also don’t have any real consumer protection around what young people may be signing, who’s representing — their agents or NIL negotiators or NIL entities.”

Sankey, Saban and other coaches and athletics directors have spent time on Capitol Hill in recent years lobbying for legislation around college athletics. Saban has cited issues such as protecting the NCAA from litigation about antitrust violations that have underpinned recent court victories against the organization, as well as future structure concerns such as employment status, unionization and Title IX that are not specifically addressed in the ongoing House vs. NCAA class-action settlement.

“There’s a lot of good work that can be done,” Sankey told Finebaum. “We’ll continue to focus on that and we’ll adapt to more than just ‘sources say’ and respect that there’s a lot of people in Washington that have an interest. What we need is a focus on participating in collaboration and problem solving.”

The House settlement, which could be approved by a federal judge within days, would create a system of revenue sharing that allows schools to directly pay athletes. That alone has led to concern about non-revenue sports being cut by schools to divert financial resources to paying players in revenue-generating sports led by football and men’s basketball.

“We got to protect Olympic sports, whether they produce revenue or not because it’s opportunities for young people to get an education,” Saban told Finebaum. “It trains a lot of people for the Olympics. There’s a lot of things about college football that I think is worth trying to make sure we can keep intact so that people can continue to have opportunities and be successful.”

Saban, who visited Tuberville in Washington earlier this year, told Finebaum he felt college sports’ perceived problems were fixable.

“I’m not opposed to players making money,” Saban said. “I don’t want anybody to think that. I just think the system — the way it’s going right now, it’s 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 I think — not just me but a lot of people — but we just got to get everybody together to do it.”

Repeated Saban: “I just think we got to have some people get together and push it forward. I think there’s a lot of people out there that know how to fix it. I just think we’ve got to push it forward and get everybody together. Some of it may need to be done on the federal level, and that’s where we’re gonna have to get people together.”

Saban also reiterated his assertion that his retirement last year was unrelated to the state of college sports.

“I didn’t get out of coaching because the system in college football right now,” he told Finebaum. “I got out because of my age. I thought it was affecting the program. I didn’t want to ride the program down. I think the people at Alabama now will do a great job there.”

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College Sports Commission distributes reminder about third-party NIL deals amid transfer portal movement

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48 minutes ago

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January 10, 2026

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One week into the college football transfer portal window, the College Sports Commission issued a reminder about its rules regarding third-party NIL deals. Specifically, the guidance mentioned deals with MMR and apparel partners.

The CSC said it received word of schools offering deals that go against terms of the House settlement through the first week of the transfer window. The organization expressed “serious concerns” about some terms of the deals in question and reiterated third-party NIL deals are subject to the NIL Go clearinghouse if they’re worth more than $600.

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Additionally, the CSC said investigations are progressing with regard to unreported third-party NIL deals. Some schools “should expect to hear from the CSC next week”, the commission said.

Such deals must be reported within five days of execution. Enrolling high school athletes and incoming D-I transfers have up to 14 days in some cases.

“Without prejudging any particular deal, the CSC has serious concerns about some of the deal terms being contemplated and the consequences of those deals for the parties involved,” the guidance reads. “Making promises of third-party NIL money now and figuring out how to honor those promises later leaves student-athletes vulnerable to deals not being cleared, promises not being able to be kept, and eligibility being placed at risk.”

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Friday’s guidance comes after Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported a $3.5 million offer that LSU made Cincinnati transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby this week. Sorsby later committed to Texas Tech, where he’s set to receive a deal in the $5 million range, On3’s Pete Nakos reported.

The offer to Sorsby included a third-party marketing deal through LSU’s MMR partner, Playfly Sports Properties, Dellenger reported. LSU also planned to compensate Sorsby through rev-share, which would help make total compensation competitive to Texas Tech’s investment.

The College Sports Commission said deals in place with an MMR partner must be reported, even if the partner intends to find other sponsors to help activate the deal. In addition, deals with an MMR or other partner “must include direct activation of the student-athlete’s NIL rights,” the guidance read.

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“The label on the contract (e.g., ‘agency agreement,’ ‘services agreement’) does not change the analysis; if an entity is agreeing to pay a student-athlete for their NIL, the agreement must be reported to NIL Go within the reporting deadline,” the guidance reads.

Third-party NIL deals are viewed as the next “arms race” in college sports in the post-House settlement landscape. Tennessee and Penn State are both set have NIL components in their upcoming apparel deals with adidas, On3 previously reported. LSU was also the first school featured in Nike’s new Blue Ribbon Elite program, and that announcement came at the same time the Tigers announced an extension with The Swoosh.



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Learning football from video games now a legit teaching method for coaches, athletes

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2 hours ago

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January 9, 2026

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The Athletic has live coverage of Oregon vs. Indiana in the 2025 College Football Playoff semifinals.

When David Pollack played linebacker at the University of Georgia from 2001-04, he was considered one of the best defenders in the country: a two-time consensus All-American and a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

But when he played the game in college, NIL (name, image and likeness) deals didn’t exist, and active players were not named in athletic video games. In the EA Sports College Football series, Pollack knew he was No. 47 for Georgia.

Pollack now sees the video game as more than entertainment or a fun way to pass the time. The game can also be a tool of instruction for coaches at all levels, particularly those coaching young children and adolescents. In addition to being a recognized college football analyst, Pollack is a defensive line coach at North Oconee High in Bogart, Ga.

Also on his resume: He’s one of the voices of EA Sports College Football 26 as an analyst.

Teaching players about schemes and how to react on the field has become reality for him as a coach with the help of video games such as EA Sports College Football 26 and Madden NFL 26. He’s a believer of the method and has seen the return on investment.

“I can’t tell you how many of my kids that I’ve coached (using video games) over these years,” Pollack said, “and they were really little, too — 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 years old.”

EA Sports College Football 26 includes more than 2,800 new plays and 45 new formations. Madden NFL 26 features a playbook expansion of more than 1,000 plays. Football video games have come a long way from the days of Tecmo Bowl, a 1980s-released game featuring only 12 pro teams and four offensive plays per team on the Nintendo 8-bit console.

Because of technology becoming so advanced, studying plays by way of video games can resemble studying in real life to football players of all ages. Coaches can talk football jargon with younger players who are familiar with it from the video games. Players are understanding what offensive schemes work best against certain defenses. Conversely, they are learning multiple defenses and what might be the best option to contain an offense.

“With Madden, with College Football, these kids learn what Cover 2 is, what Cover 3 is, what Cover 4 is,” Pollack said. “The games have gotten to be so detailed that it’s correct.”

David Pollack, now an assistant coach at North Oconee High in Georgia, was a star linebacker for the Georgia Bulldogs. On video games, he knew he was No. 47 for the Bulldogs. (Joshua L. Jones / USA Today)

Statistically, EA Sports College Football 26, released in July, is again among the best-selling games, ranking fifth and trailing only NBA 2K26 among sports games, according to GameStop. College football was brought back to video game consoles in July 2024 with EA Sports College Football 25, the first such game since 2013. EA Sports College Football 25 was the second-highest selling game of 2024, according to GameStop. There were 2.2 million unique players during early access in July 2024, per EA Sports.

Pollack said many young football players he’s worked with who have gravitated toward video games as an entry point to the sport show up with a deeper understanding of the game. And with the College Football Playoff now in full swing, there is a sample size of a fan base that learned about the significance of the tournament through gaming, despite having no connection to any of the 12 teams originally selected for competition. (Miami beat Ole Miss on Thursday to advance to the CFP Championship. The Hurricanes will face the winner of Friday’s semifinal between Indiana and Oregon.)

Young fans as gamers, however, are looking for realism down to the smallest detail. EA Sports creative director Scott O’Gallagher said a lot of the feedback the company receives from gamers goes beyond gameplay. With football video games, there are gamers who want to see players in the right helmet style, the right style of shoe, even the correct number of wristbands. That detail, O’Gallagher said, resonates particularly when young gamers are playing with the team that features certain athletes they admire.

Before becoming immersed in video games as a career, O’Gallagher was an NAIA basketball All-American at Warner Pacific University in Portland, Ore. He played professionally overseas in Europe and Australia. He learned as a professional athlete in Europe that passionate fans care about every aspect of their favorite team.

The details that go into making football video games as real as possible include keeping the playbook updated. EA Sports works throughout the season to add any wrinkles to the playbook that can be added to its games. A young player can follow a team they like and not only understand what plays are used, but also see the changes over the course of the season.

“We’re a live service, so if things are happening during the year, we’re definitely going out there and trying to add them,” O’Gallagher said. “I can talk to one of our playbook guys about what USC was doing and say, ‘Hey, did we get this? It’s a new wrinkle that Lincoln Riley’s put in. Let’s make sure we have it.’”

A more intricate game doesn’t just help Pollack’s young players, but also gives more for Pollack to discuss in his role as an in-game analyst. When recording for the game, it’s no longer about simply saying “first down.” Announcers will record game analysis in studios with tons of energy but without seeing an actual play. They will spend hours preparing to record for several scenarios.

“The technology’s getting so much better that we’re able to do so much more now and give layered concepts,” Pollack said. “It’s crazy how much they can learn about the game and are ahead of the curve on playing the real game.”

Football education by way of video games isn’t limited to a specific squad, either. Evan Dexter, EA Sports vice president of brand and marketing, said data shows football games make a strong connection with young fans who don’t have allegiance to a particular team.

“If you were to pull the analytics of (College Football) 25 and 26, I’m sure Colorado is being used far more than what you might think, based on the population of alumni or people geographically around the school,” Dexter said, referring to the popularity of Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who led Colorado during the 2024 season.

“It’s certainly true that younger sports fans will abandon allegiance in favor of some form of hero worship, some form of individual superstar,” Dexter said. “As the sport becomes a little more superstar driven, the Travis Hunters move through it, and the Arch Mannings (of Texas) and those narratives start to transcend the old-school rivalries.”

Whether rivalries are traditional or budding, the evolution of football video games will continue to be an introduction to the sport for young gamers who ultimately want to become football players. They’ll now have a lot more than four plays to choose from to learn the game.

“It’s definitely raising the football intelligence of kids all around the world by playing the game and understanding what’s going on,” Pollack said.



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Niko sounds off on UW’s Demond and NIL, plus Seahawks boosting Seattle businesses

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3 hours ago

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January 9, 2026

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SEATTLE — In this edition of Inside the Arena, Niko is back from the Seahawks’ huge win in Santa Clara and sounding off on the sudden departure of UW QB Demond Williams and what it means for the future of NIL.

Plus, Chris introduces us to the RailSpur development in Pioneer Square, which has been boosted by bonus Mariners and now Seahawks games in advance of the 2026 World Cup.

RELATED | Seahawks secure No. 1 seed in NFC and division title with dominant 13-3 win over 49ers

The Seahawks will play the lowest remaining seed in the NFC Divisional Round on either Jan. 17 or 18.

You can also watch previous episodes of Inside the Arena on the KOMO News YouTube page.

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Inside the Arena is presented by Snoqualmie Casino and Hotel.



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UCF Knights basketball general manager Chris Wash resigns

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3 hours ago

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January 9, 2026

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Jan. 9, 2026, 1:23 p.m. ET



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NIL, transfer portal has evened playing field and SEC can’t keep up

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4 hours ago

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January 9, 2026

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Jan. 9, 2026, 3:31 p.m. ET





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Rodriguez Names Trickett Director of Player Evaluation

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5 hours ago

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January 9, 2026

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University football coach Rich Rodriguez announced that Chance Trickett has been hired as the director of player evaluation on the Mountaineer coaching staff.

“Chance has built an outstanding resume of scouting, evaluating and recruiting experience at the FBS, Power Four and NFL levels,” Rodriguez said “His wide-spread experience and knowledge in these areas, along with being a West Virginia football legacy, will make an immediate impact in our program.”  

Throughout his career, Trickett has experience leading player evaluation, roster construction and long-term talent strategy at the college and NFL levels. He has proven his ability to build multi-year roster plans, aligning evaluation with financial strategy, integrating and leveraging analytics and networks to identify top prospects and cultural long-term fits. He has a strong network across high school, college, financial and agency circles with a track record of identifying undervalued talent and maximizing roster efficiency.

 

Trickett joins the WVU football staff after spending almost 10 years as a college area scout in the Los Angeles Rams organization. He served one year as the director of football recruiting at Louisiana Tech and was at Florida State for two years as a recruiting assistant.

While with the Rams, he led comprehensive player evaluations integrating film, analytics, verified measurables and psychological/cognitive components to support draft board construction and roster strategy decisions. He also produced in-depth positional value assessments and roster impact reports for multi-year draft planning and contract strategy. He developed internal valuation reports and roster strategy that models and mirrors current NIL/college market structures. He also integrated advanced scouting technology to enhance accuracy in player projection and long-term roster planning.

Trickett was awarded the BART List Award for scouting excellence in 2025 and given the “inside the league” scout/agent organization’s Best Draft Award in 2024.

A native of Morgantown, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Florida State in 2011.

Trickett, and his wife, Ashley, have two children, Tristan and Matthew.



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