Big Nick Saban Announcement Made on Wednesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated May 7, 2025 10:56 PM ET

There hasn’t been a coach in college athletics quite like Nick Saban, who sustained a legendary career across multiple universities, but most notably at Alabama. There, he coached the program for 17 seasons, leading them to six national championship victories.

After the 2024 season, Saban decided to call it a career. While the Crimson Tide have moved on to head coach Kalen DeBoer, Saban remains heavily involved in college sports, and it seems that role may expand further.

Immediately following his retirement, Saban became a staple of ESPN's "College GameDay," providing weekly coverage during the college football season. He also recently covered the NFL draft over a four-day span.

However, a recent development—after Saban introduced President Donald Trump at the University of Alabama, where Trump was a guest speaker for the university’s commencement ceremony—has opened the door for Saban to potentially take on a significant role in one of Trump's latest endeavors.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Saban is expected to co-chair President Trump’s commission on college sports, according to "The Athletic." The other co-chair will likely be a “prominent businessman with deep ties to college athletics.”

Nick Saban is expected to be named co-chair of the Presidential Commission on college sports, along with a “prominent businessman with deep ties to college athletics," a source told @TheAthletic.

Story w/more from @ralphDrussoATH, @ChrisVannini, @Williams_Justin and me …
— Sam Khan Jr. (@skhanjr) May 8, 2025

The development and idea behind Donald Trump's involvement stem from his belief in the importance of college athletics and his desire to address the issues that have been "ailing the industry" as of late, according to Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger.

“Trump’s involvement, though not surprising, marks a landmark moment in college athletics history — the country’s most powerful elected leader potentially shaping the future of the industry,” Dellenger said. “Details of the commission are being kept private for now, but the group is expected to feature key college sports stakeholders, prominent businesspeople with deep connections to college football, and perhaps even a former coach and administrator.”

Dellenger continued, "The commission is expected to deeply examine the complex landscape of college sports, including the frequent movement of players in the transfer portal, the unregulated booster compensation paid to athletes, the debate surrounding college athlete employment, the application of Title IX to school revenue-sharing payments, and even issues like conference membership and conference television contracts, according to sources with knowledge of the commission."

Nick Saban recently met with President Trump to discuss the challenges surrounding NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) in college athletics. Shortly after that meeting, "The Wall Street Journal" revealed that Trump is considering an executive order that could increase scrutiny on NIL payments to college athletes, and it seems Saban is going to be a vital part of the process.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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