Retired Alabama football coach Nick Saban has voiced his backing for the executive order signed Thursday by former President Donald Trump, titled “Saving College Sports.”
Speaking on Fox News Friday, Saban praised the order, saying, “This is a major step toward preserving the educational framework we’ve always aimed to promote—creating opportunities for both male and female athletes, across revenue and non-revenue sports, to grow as people, succeed academically, and pursue professional careers if they choose.”
The executive order comes during a chaotic period in college athletics. A House-led settlement that began July 1 aims to establish a new path forward with revenue sharing, but many uncertainties remain. Leaders across the sport continue to call for federal involvement to bring clarity and stability.
The order itself argues that a nationwide solution is urgently required to prevent further breakdown and to safeguard non-revenue sports—especially many women’s sports—which play a vital role in collegiate athletics, contribute to U.S. Olympic dominance, and support the growth of hundreds of thousands of student-athletes.
Trump stated his administration’s position that all college sports should not only be maintained but expanded when possible. He emphasized that college athletics are not meant to be professional leagues and shouldn’t be treated as such.
One of the proposed measures includes involving the U.S. Secretary of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board in defining college athletes’ employment status. The order also includes legal protections for schools against lawsuits, safeguards for Olympic development programs, and a ban on third-party pay-for-play models.
“We’re at a crossroads,” Saban said. “Do we want to stick with an education-based system, or do we want colleges running pro sports teams? I think the president took a major step in the right direction—and I believe most people would choose the former.”
