Nick Saban and Big 12 oil tycoon tabbed by President Donald Trump for prestigious college football commission

Against the backdrop of the ongoing House v. NCAA settlement, which is nearing final approval, reports have emerged about President Trump’s potential executive order and plans for a new commission. 

Yahoo reported the commission will “deeply examine the unwieldy landscape of college sports, including the frequency of player movement in the transfer portal, the unregulated booster compensation paid to athletes, the debate of college athlete employment, the application of Title IX to school revenue-share payments and, even, conference membership makeup and conference television contracts."

On Wednesday, attorneys submitted a revised brief addressing Judge Claudia Wilken’s concerns about roster limits, proposing a grandfather clause to protect athletes who lost their spots. A ruling on the settlement’s final approval is expected soon.

Meanwhile, plaintiffs’ attorney Steve Berman criticized discussions between Saban and Trump as the settlement process continues. Legal experts warn that an executive order could complicate matters, and Berman urged both parties to halt these talks to focus on securing final approval for the House v. NCAA settlement.

“While he was a coach, [Nick] 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. “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.

“Coach Saban and Trump’s eleventh-hour talks of executive orders and other meddling are just more unneeded self-involvement. 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.”

We'll see how it all plays out, but it's certainly an honor befitting the GOAT coach.