Although he has retired from coaching, legendary Alabama head football coach Nick Saban is still working to improve college athletics.
Saban, now an analyst with ESPN's "College GameDay," has been advocating for name, image, and likeness (NIL) reform ever since it became legal to pay players. He even said NIL had something to do with his seemingly early retirement.
On Thursday, Saban made his way to Washington, D.C. to speak at the annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation legislative meeting to discuss his concerns about the current landscape of college sports and how to improve it.
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) hosted the NIL panel, and South Western Athletic Conference (SWAC) commissioner Charles McClelland joined Saban for the presentation.
Ahead of the panel discussion, Saban met with U.S. Sens. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), University of Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne and the SWAC commissioner.
Saban has previously met with Cruz and Byrne in the Capitol to discuss NIL reform, and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), a former college football coach, has said Saban is "all-in" on solving the NIL issue.
Following her meeting with the former Alabama coach, Britt emphasized the importance of protecting "the integrity and sustainability of collegiate athletics" so future generations could also enjoy college athletics while student-athletes lived the American Dream.
"We must take action to protect the integrity and sustainability of collegiate athletics, so generations to come can continue to enjoy their favorite college sports and student-athletes can live their American Dreams," Britt wrote on Twitter.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email trent.baker@1819news.com.
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