Nick Saban set to lead POTUS Donald Trump's college sports commission as co-chair: Report

Legendary college football head coach Nick Saban is expected to be the co-chair of President Trump's college sports commission, The Athletic's Ralph D. Russo reported on Wednesday.

Saban, who won seven national championships (six with Alabama) before his retirement in 2023, will be taking up this role with another co-chair who is a 'prominent businessman with deep ties to college athletics.'

This new development comes to light after Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reported on Wednesday on Trump's interest in creating a commission to deal with the problems surrounding college sports. This new commission will deal with several issues in college sports, such as NIL, transfer portal, and conference realignment, among others.

As per the Wall Street Journal, Nick Saban has been urging the President of the United States to get involved with the state of college sports. The two reportedly met on Thursday to discuss the issue.

The ex-Alabama head coach has been vocal about his concerns regarding NIL rules and their effects on college football.

UPDATE: Texas Tech booster and billionaire Cody Campbell will join Nick Saban as co-chair of the commission, according to a report from On3 insider, Pete Nakos.

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Nick Saban shares take on challenges involving NIL in college football

In March, the ex-Alabama head coach had an interview with ESPN. He opened up about his concerns regarding the influence of NIL in college sports. Saban also made comparisons to the structure at the professional level in the NFL and how it helps maintain equivalence.

"I think, first of all, Name, Image and Likeness is a great opportunity for players to make money," Saban said. "Another opportunity to use what they've created on their own through their hard work to be able to earn money, and I think that's a really good thing."

"I also think we don't have any rules in place to protect the players from people who are trying to get between then and the money," (TS- 2:45 onwards)

When Saban retired, reports surfaced that it was because of the current landscape of NIL in college football and how he couldn't keep up with the changes. However, he denied it as a direct factor in his retirement, but did tell ESPN last March that it was because of the 'changing landscape' of the sport.

Kalen DeBoer was brought in as Saban's replacement for the Crimson Tide. However, he had an underwhelming debut campaign, leading the program to a 9-4 record and a bowl loss to Michigan during the 2024 season.