Former Alabama coach Nick Saban headed back to D.C. for NIL conversation

For the second time in six months, Nick Saban is headed back to Capitol Hill.

The former Alabama head coach will lead a panel discussion organized by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual legislative conference on Thursday. Saban, who won six national championships in 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide, was previously in Congress in March for a roundtable organized by Sen. Ted Cruz.

For nearly two years, the NCAA has looked to Congress to secure its long-sought antitrust exemption. Donor-led NIL collectives have popped up across the country, with more than 200 organizations. Collecting funds through collectives to funnel back to athletes has become crucial in retaining and attracting talent.

“It is a very hot topic in Congress,” Sewell told AL.com. “Hearing directly from those who have been involved in the changing landscape would be a benefit for all of us.”

Saban’s trip to Congress comes as the NCAA tries to settle the House v. NCAA lawsuit. The parties agreed on the settlement this spring. The 10-year settlement would pay $2.77 billion in back damages to athletes over 10 years. The second piece of the agreement is revenue sharing, allowing institutions to pay $20-22 million annually to athletes. Now the long-form settlement is going in front of Judge Claudia Wilken in the Northern District of California.

Nearly a dozen pieces of legislation centered on NIL have been introduced or drafted in the last 15 months. Nick Saban previously said he supports revenue sharing but has been outspoken against NIL collectives.

“My wife even said to me, we have all the recruits over on Sunday with their parents for breakfast,” the former Alabama head coach said in March. “And she would always meet with the mothers and talk about how she was going to help and impact their sons and how they would be well taken care of.

“And she came to me, like right before our retirement and said, ‘Why are we doing this?’ And I said, ‘What do you mean?’ She said, ‘All they care about is how much you’re going to pay them.’”