In a Monday interview on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show," President Donald Trump praised retired Alabama football coach Nick Saban and called on him to "get involved" in fixing the problems in NCAA sports that have come with the introduction of the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).
Saban, who has been vocal about the landscape of college football in the NIL era, was rumored earlier this year to help lead Trump's commission on college athletics. He met with the President and even discussed an executive order related to NIL payments.
Trump called Saban a "fantastic guy" who knew college sports "better than anybody."
"I know him, and I got to know him because he brought his team to the White House," Trump said of Saban. "You know, he had the team, he won a lot. And I got to know him. He's a fantastic guy, and he's somebody that really, they should get involved in college sports in terms of making sure that, you know, it all works out because what's happening is, it looks like it's not working out too well, for colleges [and] for most of the people."
"A lot of the lesser sports are being totally terminated. You know, it's a shame. It was almost like a training ground for the Olympics. And a lot of those training grounds are being lost. You know, Nick knows this stuff better than anybody. He ... was really active in it. I think they would have to let Nick Saban take a good, strong look at it, and we all — I can tell you, from my standpoint, I'd listen to what he has to say. But I know him well, and he's a fantastic guy, and what a great coach."
The President warned college athletics departments would get overwhelmed by the increase in player compensation.
"All of a sudden, you're going to have NFL-type payrolls," Trump continued. "I don't care how rich the college is, they don't make that much money, even the most successful, so they're not going to be able to do this. Bad things are going to happen unless they figure this out. That's why a guy like Nick Saban, and I've worked with Nick, but a guy like Nick Saban and some others getting together, because they're going to have to do something."
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