Nick Saban Praises Trump's Executive Order Reshaping College Sports

President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at curbing third-party pay-for-play payments in college athletics, a move strongly endorsed by legendary football coach Nick Saban. The order seeks to preserve the educational model of college sports by reining in NIL deals that have shifted the focus toward semi-professionalism and competitive imbalances fueled by boosters and media rights deals. Saban, who retired in 2024 partly due to the changing landscape of college football, praised the order for protecting opportunities across revenue and non-revenue sports, including women's athletics, which depend on the profits generated by football and men's basketball. Trump’s executive order also directs federal agencies to clarify athletes' amateur status and aims to grant the NCAA antitrust protections to enforce rules more effectively. Saban highlighted the importance of deciding between maintaining an education-centered sports model or allowing universities to operate like professional teams, advocating for the former. The order signals a significant step toward restoring the traditional goals of college sports, balancing player compensation with the preservation of amateurism and educational priorities.