Inside Nick Saban’s Secret Meeting with President Trump: What Really Went Down Behind Closed Doors

You ever wonder what it takes to convince a former president to tackle one of college football’s thorniest issues? Well, Nick Saban has done just that. Fresh off his retirement after the 2023 season, Saban’s not exactly hanging up his whistle quietly—especially when it comes to the chaos wrought by name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules. At the University of Alabama’s graduation, the legendary coach didn’t just introduce President Donald Trump; he grilled him on how NIL is “damaging” the very fabric of college sports. No fluff, no games—Saban made it crystal clear that without some serious federal intervention, the beloved gridiron game might be headed for a meltdown. And, surprisingly, Trump’s staff is already drafting a plan, spurred on by Saban’s warning. With U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville throwing his weight behind a push for national NIL standards, the question is: can these power players level the playing field before it’s too late? Let’s dig in and see if this high-stakes conversation marks a turning point for college football’s future. LEARN MORE.

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban introduced President Donald Trump at the university’s graduation ceremony on Thursday night, but that’s not all he did.

Even though Saban retired from coaching college football after the 2023 season, he’s still very much concerned about the sports. He experienced firsthand just how chaotic things can get due to name, image and likeness. 

The biggest issue is there aren’t really any guidelines when it comes to NIL. With that in mind, Saban let Trump know that serious changes need to be made in order to ensure that college football won’t collapse.  

According to The Wall Street Journal, Saban told Trump that NIL is “damaging” college sports. He was convincing enough that Trump directed his White House staff to start drafting a plan. 

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville confirmed Saban’s meeting with Trump. It turns out he was also part of these discussions. 

“Had a great conversation with President Trump last night about the importance of establishing national standards for NIL,” Tuberville said. “College football is the heart and soul of America — but it’s in danger if we don’t level the playing field.”

This isn’t the first time that Saban has called on the U.S. government to step in and impose guidelines for NIL. 

“I think that should still exist for all players, but not just a pay-for-play system like we have now where whoever raises the most money in their collective can pay the most for the players, which is not a level playing field,” Saban said on Fox News last year. “I think in any competitive venue, you want to have some guidelines that gives everyone an equal opportunity to have a chance to be successful.

“Now, we just have the state legislation — and every state is different — that would protect the NCAA from litigation once we establish guidelines for the future of college athletics. But the litigation is what got us to this point right now. We have to have some protection from litigation. I don’t know if it’s antitrust laws or whatever.” 

We’ll see if Saban’s meeting with Trump ends up paying off. 

Related: President Trump Has 3-Word Message For Nick Saban, Alabama Football