‘We just want to save college athletics:’ Sen. Tuberville on potential NIL federal law

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville says he and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Va.) are hearing from scores of college presidents, athletics directors and coaches who hope the senators’ efforts to create a nationwide set of rules around how colleges and conferences govern NIL will pay off.

Tuberville says the NCAA has given up on trying to make or enforce rules on this, and he says he’s hearing from a stream of coaches and athletic directors wanting someone to level the playing field.

“We wanna help, I don’t wanna hurt this,” said Tuberville. “But I don’t think we could take a sledgehammer and make it any worse than what it is right now. I’m telling you, coaches and players are calling me going, ‘help, do something.’ So maybe we can help. We just wanna save college athletics. The people that are really going to suffer from this is women’s sports and Olympic sports. Because all that money that’s going to the players now used to go to the foundations and the school, and that helped fund all the sports that are non-revenue sports that don’t bring in a lot of money.”

Tuberville says they’re still working on drafting a set of rules and will get input from college presidents and coaches before they send anything to the full House and Senate for debate.

When asked about Alabama Coach Nick Saban’s new contract extension that once again makes him the highest-paid coach in college athletics, Tuberville said, “Nick Saban’s earned every dime he’s gotten. All the money he’s brought to Tuscaloosa, the SEC and the state of Alabama? I mean you can’t put a price on it. Probably can’t pay him enough to be honest with you. He’s a good friend. And I know the price of a good coach, and the price of a great coach. They’re getting their money’s worth - whatever they’re paying him.”

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