By Justin Williams, Sam Khan Jr. and Chris Vannini
Plans for a presidential commission exploring issues in college sports have been paused, a source familiar with the plans confirmed to The Athletic on Thursday.
The commission will be paused indefinitely as members of Congress continue to pursue legislation in hopes of addressing major issues facing college sports, the source said. There is no definitive timetable for when the commission could resume, but planning and coordinating could continue in the interim. Yahoo Sports was the first to report that the commission would be paused.
Former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Texas Tech board of regents chair Cody Campbell were the expected co-chairs of the commission and met in person last week and were said to be aligned on key issues. A presidential commission would typically dig into various aspects of an issue or enterprise and deliver a report suggesting possible solutions that could involve executive and legislative action.
But Saban has publicly downplayed the need for a commission in recent public statements.
During a May 14 appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” Saban simultaneously downplayed the commission’s necessity while advocating for solutions from a group of people.
“Well, first of all, I don’t know a lot about the commission. Secondly, I’m not sure we really need a commission,” Saban said on the show. “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 so that we can move it forward.”
Saban discussed possibly constructing a group that addresses the ongoing legal, financial and competitive issues college sports have struggled to navigate in this era of name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation and the transfer portal.
“I think there are a lot of people out there that know how to fix it,” Saban said. “I just think we have to push it forward and get everybody together, and some of it may need to be done on the federal level.”
News of the possible commission broke on May 7, shortly after President Donald J. Trump spoke at Alabama’s commencement and visited with Saban personally afterward.
College sports leaders have been lobbying Congress for several years for a bill that would support the NCAA and conferences as they try to regain control of regulating college athletics issues, including NIL compensation, transfer portal movement and possibly obtaining an antitrust exemption.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has been leading a bipartisan group, including Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who is working on a bill that could provide some relief to the NCAA and conferences.
In early May, Cruz expressed optimism about the possible legislation, while acknowledging the multiple steps that remain in the process.
“That is actively moving forward,” Cruz said on May 6. “We are negotiating. I think we are close to having a bipartisan product that can move. … I think college athletics is in crisis, and Congress has an obligation to step in and solve this problem.
“That is a major priority for me and for this committee. We have been spending hundreds of hours working, trying to get bipartisan agreement.”
(Photo: Jim Watson / Getty Images)
