Congress to create new College Sports Commission that will be run by CEO , Strip power from NCAA after House v NCAA Settlment

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CEO to oversee college sports rules enforcement after House v. NCAA settlement is finalized, per report​

A ruling in the House v. NCAA settlement is finally expected this week, and part of the resolution will include a new enforcement organization and CEO to oversee college athletics, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. The NCAA will relinquish its authority to punish universities, athletic programs and individuals for rules violations and instead hand the power over to a new entity called the College Sports Commission. Thamel reports the CEO of said commission could be announced quickly after the House settlement goes final.


Hiring responsibilities lie with the Power Four commissioners, who are already deep into the process of tabbing the first CEO. The person tasked with leading the College Sports Commission will immediately step into one of the most prominent roles in college athletics at a time in which countless figures across the sport beg for guidance with regard to NIL, revenue sharing and the myriad omnipresent challenges in the modern landscape.

According to Thamel, the expectation is the CEO will likely hail from outside the college athletics universe and is not expected to be a household name to college sports fans. The CEO will earn a seven-figure salary.

When the College Sports Commission takes power following the conclusion of the House settlement, its CEO will report to a board that includes the Power Four commissioners. The executive will oversee newly implemented systems including revenue-sharing salary cap management and the clearinghouse for NIL deals.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...s-file-brief-to-address-roster-limit-concern/
The NCAA was oft-criticized for its handling of rules violations. The lack of enforcement with regard to the transfer portal, NIL and tampering in particular drew the ire of college coaches and fans alike.

"We still have no idea what the rules are here for August," Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz said last month amid the ongoing House settlement hearings. "Think about that for a second. College football is fairly significant. It's a big operation. A lot of revenue. That's all we talk about anymore, is revenue. A lot at stake here, and we still don't know what the rules are. It shows you just how screwed up things are, quite frankly."


The idea of a CEO overseeing college athletics is hardly novel. A handful of prominent college football coaches said this offseason that college football would benefit from hiring a commissioner to manage and enforce rules. Some, including James Franklin, Chip Kelly and Kirby Smart, said that former Alabama coach Nick Saban would be the ideal candidate for such a job.

"I think one of the most important things that we can do is, let's get a commissioner of college football that is waking up every single morning and going to bed every single night, making decisions that's in the best interest of college football," Franklin said during the 2024 College Football Playoff. "I think Nick Saban would be the obvious choice."

 

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Call for College Football CEO Grows Stronger as National Analyst Reacts After Nick Saban’s Presidential Push​

The Nick Saban presidential era might not be coming to Washington, but it’s inching closer to Indianapolis. The former Alabama legend is reportedly being eyed for a leadership role in President Donald Trump’s proposed commission on college sports. A body that would attempt to untangle the legislative spaghetti of NIL, realignment, and athlete employment status. All this comes in the shadow of a stunning NCAA announcement that all but retires its amateurism enforcement muscle, signaling the rise of a new boss in town: the College Sports Commission. In one swift move, NCAA President Charlie Baker handed the baton to the power conferences. Now, the real question: who gets to run with it?


If you ask those watching the new enforcement blueprint unfold, the concern isn’t just who’s in charge—it’s whether anyone’s truly looking out for the players. On The Ruffino & Joe Show, co-host Joe DeLeone didn’t mince words. “The one thing that really draws my attention – and that’s the biggest red flag for me – is that schools can sign into these agreements like that’s no problem. They are representing themselves, their brands—if a coach does something, tampering, illegal payment to a player, whatever it is, they can handle that. But for the player side, they didn’t get a chance to negotiate this. No player did.” The problem goes deeper than missed signatures.

“And I don’t even truly understand how they would negotiate it because the ramifications for it is only four years long. How do you revisit collective bargaining agreements when these guys are in and out of school in 4-5 years?” DeLeone wasn’t finished. “I was saying that this perks up my attention because there is no CBA, there is no union, there is no union to keep this together,” he continued. “So that is what is a step that I brought up before. We need that, and we need federal legislation that grants the CSC power to allow them to deliver these punishments. Otherwise, it is the NCAA with extra steps—that is what we’ve just created.” The new college sports commission might look like a silver bullet, but if there’s no muscle behind the badge, it’s just more bureaucracy in cleats.


The fine print only adds to the intrigue. The ‘Membership Agreement’ that’s been quietly in the works since February would require power conference members to waive their right to sue the commission. A preemptive shield against rebellion. And with Tennessee’s recent Senate Bill clearing the way for in-state schools to thrive in the revenue-sharing era without fear of NCAA blowback, the dominoes are already tilting toward full conference autonomy.

But Nick Saban isn’t so sure this whole idea needs to exist at all. “I know there’s been a lot of stuff out there about some commission or whatever. I don’t think we need a commission,” Saban said at his Nick’s Kids golf tournament. “I’ve said that before. We know what the issues are. We just have to have people who are willing to move those and solve those, and create some solutions for some of those issues.”


That’s not to say he’s washing his hands of the process. “I’m all for being a consultant to anybody who would think that my experience would be beneficial to helping create some of those solutions.” It’s a statement that walks the line—Nick Saban doesn’t want a title, but he’s not ready to walk away from the table either. His message hasn’t changed much. On The Paul Finebaum Show, he doubled down: “First of all, I don’t know a lot about the commission. Secondly, I’m not sure we really need a commission.” In classic Saban fashion, he prefers action over apparatus.

Ironically, if this commission does move forward under Trump’s proposal, it won’t just be about NIL and tampering. It’ll look at everything from media contracts to transfer portal chaos to how the College Football Playoff ballooned to 16 teams—something the insiders quietly frowned upon. But ask Saban? He’d tell you it’s about time.

Nick Saban switches sides​

The GOAT backs a bigger playoff field, not quite like Matt Rhule though. Nick Saban hasn’t always been Team Playoff Expansion, but it looks like the legendary coach turned ESPN analyst is officially flipping the script. The longtime defender of bowl game tradition now sees the value in widening the CFP — and he’s not afraid to say it.

“I was never for expanding the playoff because I thought bowl games were really important to the history and tradition of college football,” Saban admitted. But as the sport keeps evolving, even the GOAT can change with the times. “Now that we have expanded the playoff, the bowl games have taken a less significant role. So I think expanding the playoff and having as many teams involved as we can without playing too many games for the players, I think that’s a little bit of a concern, that’s probably a good thing.”


You read that right — Saban now sees the benefit in giving more teams a shot at the big stage, especially as the playoff moves from 12 teams (which just debuted last season) to possibly 14 or even 16. That’s the hot topic among Power Four commissioners, who met recently to discuss future expansion.

 

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Nick Saban Named as Quiet Roadblock as President Donald Trump's College Sports Commission Hits a Sudden Pause​

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