Many have wondered when the federal government might get involved among the NCAA surrounding topics such as name, image and likeness, and things are getting down to crunch time in Congress.

Texas senator Ted Cruz hosted an NIL roundtable Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban was in attendance and shared his perspectives on how NIL has impacted college football since its inception in 2021, in addition to being joined by Crimson Tide athletics director Greg Byrne, Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips and women’s basketball players Hanna Cavinder and Haley Cavinder among others.

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Saban has said NIL played a factor into his surprising retirement announced in January. Among the changes in college athletics also include the evolution of the transfer portal and conference realignment, and Saban experienced change in almost every aspect of coaching compared to when he started.

“All the things that I’ve believed in for all these years — 50 years of coaching — no longer exist in college athletics,” Saban said. “So it’s always about developing players. It was always about helping people be more successful in life.”

It didn’t become apparent to him until a conversation with his wife Terry Saban sparked a change in thought.

“She came to me like right before I retired and said, ‘Why are we doing this?'” Saban said. “And I said, ‘Well, what do you mean?’ She said, ‘All they care about is how much you’re going to pay them. They don’t care about how you’re going to develop them, which is what we’ve always done, so why are we doing this.’ So, you know, to me, that was sort of a red alert that we really are creating a circumstance here that is not beneficial to the development of young people.”

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Currently, the NCAA cannot enforce its NIL rules as the ongoing Tennessee and Virginia lawsuit plays out. This means that the possibility of third parties reaching out to recruits about possible NIL deals becomes more of a reality.

The possibility of student-athletes becoming “employees” was also a topic of discussion during the roundtable. Revenue sharing with student-athletes was discussed.

Saban set out upon his retirement to become an advocate for student-athletes. He’s said he wants to help “improve the quality of life” for players and still shape them to be better people.

The direction that college athletics is heading is unclear. There are many areas that still need addressed, whether that involves the federal government or not, and it remains to be seen just how soon legislation from Congress could be implemented to work out some of the issues that are prevalent today.

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Alabama announced Friday that it has hired Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer to succeed Nick Saban as skipper of the program. 

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“I have always had an incredible respect for Alabama football and its commitment to excellence,” DeBoer stated in a release. “The tradition-rich history of this program is unmatched across the landscape of college athletics, and I look forward to continuing that moving forward. Following Coach Saban is an honor. He has been the standard for college football, and his success is unprecedented. I would not have left Washington for just any school. The chance to lead the football program at The University of Alabama is the opportunity of a lifetime. My family and I feel truly blessed and look forward to becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. I want to thank Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, President Stuart R. Bell, Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their belief in me to lead this program.”

DeBoer spent the past two seasons at Washington, where he led the Huskies to their second College Football Playoff appearance and first national title game. 

He was named national coach of the year by a number of outlets, including the American Football Coaches Association and The Associated Press.

READ: Reports: Alabama WR Isaiah Bond enters transfer portal 

DeBoer will bring a wealth of coaching experience with him to Tuscaloosa. Beginning in the high school and NAIA ranks, DeBoer won three NAIA national championships at Sioux Falls before jumping up the coaching ladder. 

DeBoer previously coached as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Indiana in 2019, Fresno State in 2017-18 and Eastern Michigan from 2014-16. 

“We are excited to welcome Kalen and Nicole DeBoer, and their daughters, Alexis and Avery, to The University of Alabama,” Byrne stated in a release. “Coach DeBoer has proven he is a winner and has done an incredible job as a head coach at each of his stops. One of the things I told our team the other day is we are going to get someone who is not only a great coach with the Xs and Os, but also someone who cares about his players and someone I’d want my sons to play for, just like I would have wanted them to play for Coach Saban. We got that in Coach DeBoer. He is ready to get to work, and we look forward to him leading the Alabama Crimson Tide football program for years to come. We are grateful to our leadership in President Stuart Bell, Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their support during this process.” 

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