One of the attorneys involved in the House vs. NCAA case isn't pleased with President Trump and Nick Saban getting involved in the NIL process. Ken Blevins / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Attorney in NCAA case blasts Trump, Saban for NIL executive order idea

Originally posted on CFB-HQ on SI | By James Parks | Last updated May 6, 2025 10:32 AM ET

An attorney representing current and former college football players and other athletes in the proposed House v. NCAA settlement is not happy with President Trump’s idea to create an executive order to regulate NIL payments for players.

President Trump reportedly instructed aides to create the language for a prospective executive order “that could increase the scrutiny of the explosion in payments” to players after a meeting with former Alabama head football coach Nick Saban recently.

“Coach Saban and Trump’s eleventh-hour talks of executive orders and other meddling are just more unneeded self-involvement,” attorney Steve Berman said in a statement.

He added: “College athletes are spearheading historic changes and benefitting massively from NIL deals. They don’t need this unmerited interference from a coach only seeking to protect the system that made him tens of millions.”

In particular, Berman criticized the apparent influence of Saban, who reportedly influenced the President to look into crafting the proposed order.

“While he was a coach, Saban initially opposed NIL payments to athletes, pushing to add restrictions and red tape through national legislation to add ‘some sort of control,’” Berman said in a statement.

He added: “During his time scrutinizing the athlete pay structure, he made tens of millions of dollars and was previously the highest-paid coach in college football.”

All of this comes as a federal judge in California is looking to decide whether to approve a settlement in the House case that would completely redesign the college athletics system and enable schools to directly share money with players.

Judge Claudia Wilken has given attorneys two weeks to work out the language, which includes wording around roster limits, before making a decision on the settlement.

Hence why some of the people involved in the long, intricate process may not be thrilled with the idea of a former coach and the President of the United States getting involved suddenly.