College Football's Double Standards on CFP, 'Pay for Play' Laughable

We may as well call Nick Saban's executive order proposal to President Donald Trump what it really is: a Hail Mary attempt by the same folks who built the crooked house, now trying to remodel it — without ever admitting they rigged the foundation in their favor for decades.

According to reports, President Donald Trump is considering an executive order aimed at reining in the current model of athlete compensation, largely spurred on by a private meeting with retired Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

Saban, a man who became one of the richest public employees in American history on the backs of unpaid labor, claims the current model of NIL is "hurting the enterprise," and thinks a Trump executive order will fix what ails the sport he walked away from.

But here's the real question: When exactly was the playing field level in college football? Because it sure as hell wasn't when players were forced to sit out a full year to transfer while coaches were hopping on private jets to new jobs with $100 million buyouts.

It wasn’t when players were suspended for accepting a free meal while university presidents pocketed revenue from selling their jerseys and likenesses. And it sure wasn’t when athletes were banned from working side gigs while administrators raked in TV money hand-over-fist.

This is not about restoring fairness — it's about restoring control.

The Real Problem: The Power Structure Wants to Stay in Power

For decades, the NCAA, conferences, athletic departments and high-profile coaches — including Saban — enjoyed unchallenged dominion over the college sports economy. They built empires while telling athletes they should be grateful for a scholarship.

That "amateurism" lie paid well: Mike Gundy makes $8 million a year for a single conference title in two decades. Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for $110 million and has gone 7-5, 6-6 in the past two seasons.

Jimbo Fisher got fired after managing 11 wins in the two seasons that followed Texas A&M buying the “greatest recruiting class in history,” and still walked with a $77 million parting gift.

Meanwhile, players — the ones actually generating all the cash — were forced into silence or punished for seeking a better opportunity. Now that they finally have the freedom to leave a bad situation, the power structure wants to slam the door shut under the guise of “protecting college sports.”

Cry me a freaking river.

"Pay-for-Play"? Good. It’s About Time.

Nick Saban says there’s “very little name, image and likeness” anymore — that it’s just “pay-for-play.” Yeah, and? Why shouldn’t it be?

What other multibillion-dollar industry in America tells its stars that they aren’t allowed to be paid directly for their work — especially while everyone else in the business gets rich? NIL isn’t the problem — it’s the first actual solution this sport has seen in decades. And it still doesn’t go far enough.

Now that athletes are finally starting to get a piece of the pie, the people who once swallowed the whole damn bakery want to suddenly bring in salary caps and federal limits — not for themselves, but for the players. How convenient.

If Nick Saban can earn millions in AFLAC commercials based purely on his name, why can’t a quarterback from Washington State make six figures signing autographs or endorsing a local car dealership?

The Hypocrisy is Staggering

Trump’s consideration of this executive order doesn’t solve the problem — it doubles down on the same outdated logic that got us here in the first place. The chaos in NIL and the transfer portal is not the fault of players getting paid; it's the result of decades of cowardice, greed and legal stubbornness from the NCAA and its power brokers.

Let’s be honest: The NCAA only moved on NIL because the Supreme Court unanimously told them they had no legal leg to stand on in Alston v. NCAA. They didn’t lead this reform — they got dragged into it kicking and screaming by lawsuits, public pressure, and state laws.

And now, these same folks — who lost the moral, legal and public battles — are lobbying the federal government to bail them out.

Not with smart legislation that clarifies employment status or provides protections for athletes — but with executive action that would shut the faucet off before the players ever get their fair share.

That’s not leadership. That’s a power grab.

You Want Stability? Start With Collective Bargaining

If you want to talk about real reform — let’s talk about collective bargaining. Let’s treat college athletes like what they are: essential labor in a billion-dollar industry. Let’s give them representation, protections and a cut of the revenue.

If the universities, conferences and the NCAA are serious about stabilizing the system, then let them open their books and negotiate directly with the players. Let’s see them agree to shared revenue, long-term health care and education protections.

But we all know that’s not what this is. This executive order idea isn’t about balance. It’s about barricading the gates again now that the players are starting to walk through them.

Unilateral Action by Trump Won't Fix College Sports

Finally, let’s deal with the legal reality: An executive order isn’t going to fix this. It’s a Band-Aid over a tumor. The issues at play — antitrust, labor law, right of publicity, Title IX, contracts — all require legislative clarity, not presidential fiat. That’s why Congress has held over a dozen hearings and floated multiple bills. None have passed, but at least the path is democratic.

What Trump’s talking about is unilateral action to appease a handful of elite power brokers, not the athletes who make college football what it is. And it won’t work — not legally, and not morally.

Bottom Line: Yes, Reform is Needed — But for Everyone, Not Just the Gatekeepers

Let’s be clear: Reform is absolutely necessary. But not the kind being whispered about in backrooms or dictated from the White House by people who never lost a dollar while exploiting the system for decades. What we need is reform that brings balance and fairness to everyone — athletes, coaches, programs, and yes, even administrators — not just those banging on the doors of Congress and now the Oval Office, begging for relief from a system they themselves created and corrupted.

If schools and coaches actually wanted stability, they could start by doing something very simple: offering longer-term contracts with protections on both ends. A fair agreement. Imagine that.

Instead, they’ve chosen to cry foul only when their roster gets hit. When a player they were counting on to win games and maintain that $9 million lifestyle hits the portal, suddenly it’s a crisis. But when the same coach finds a better option? He nudges the kid out — often by ghosting him or letting NIL deals quietly expire.

Funny how that never makes the headlines.

And don’t think this isn’t happening constantly. It's just not talked about because most players would rather be seen as “selfish” or “chasing the bag” than face the far more damning label of “not good enough.” So they announce they’re entering the portal, when in truth, they're pushed out — hoping to land on their feet somewhere else and reclaim some leverage.

Meanwhile, the very people screaming about contracts and clawbacks never stop to consider that multi-year contracts would also restrict coaches. That’s why it hasn’t happened — because control is the currency here, not fairness.

Make no mistake: these loud calls for regulation aren't about protecting the game. They're about protecting the machine that’s been printing money for the NCAA, athletic departments and millionaire coaches for years.

They’re trying to get their power back — not build a better system.

So if President Trump wants to wade into college sports with an executive order, he better make damn sure it’s not just a lifeline for the rich and powerful. Because any "solution" that doesn’t start with treating players like respected partners in the system is just the same old exploitation, wrapped in a new presidential seal.