Nick Saban Testifies Before Congress to Protect College Sports

Since the O’Bannon case opened the door for NIL in college sports, the NCAA has been attempting to put the toothpaste back into the tube by lobbying Congress. The lengthy effort has produced no results. The SCORE Act never got to a vote. A piece of bipartisan legislation in the Senate, introduced by Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, has been dubbed the “Protect College Sports Act.”

On Wednesday, big names from the world of college sports gathered on Capitol Hill to share support for this piece of legislation. Nick Saban, you may have heard of him, was the most noteworthy individual to speak to Congress. He believes the financial balloon is expanding too quickly for the sports world to keep up.

Saban said during the first year of NIL, Alabama had $2.7 million to spend on players. The following year, NIL Collectives grew that figure to $10 million, then $17 million, and finally $24 million. After two years in an ESPN suit, it’s grown all the way to $40 million for some college football rosters. The Protect College Sports Act would provide a legal spending cap for college football programs.

“The concept of a cap emanating from the House settlement, in my opinion, is a fallacy,” Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua said. “There is no cap. It’s an equation. … You’re going to have a generation of student-athletes, thousands of cases, that are finishing their college journey without a college degree, with money that is fleeting, so by the time they’re 25, they’ve torn through that money and it’s kind of a good luck for the rest of your life.”

The Protect College Sports Act is intended to establish a legal framework for the NCAA to operate while maintaining some semblance of the sports we love. TV money has been the driving force in many changes. It has been a sticking point in this piece of legislation.

The bill would allow schools to pool media rights. The Big Ten and SEC are firmly against it because they have the most lucrative TV contracts. That’s why they issued a joint statement opposing the legislation. Bevacqua, who has plenty of experience in the TV rights world, believes a college Super League is not in the best interest of the sport, yet he laid out what it could look like.

Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua, who used to run NBC Sports, tells senators that the best way to make the most money from TV rights is a super league.

Then he says he doesn't want a super league.

Then he offers a sample super league schedule. pic.twitter.com/DgLtWJtL1H

— Andy Staples (@AndyStaples) June 3, 2026

Will anything come from all this talk on Capitol Hill? Nobody is willing to say this piece of legislation is perfect, but it may have enough votes to pass through the Senate. Once it gets to the House… that’s a different story, particularly ahead of midterm elections.

As has been the case in the past, it’s wise to be skeptical that legislators can actually pass a law of substance. In the meantime, prepare to hear more power brokers debate until college sports reaches a breaking point.