Urban Meyer has never been one to shy away from a big stage, but his latest play didn't happen on a football field. Instead, the former Ohio State Buckeyes coach took his talents to the White House for a high-stakes Saving College Sports roundtable hosted by President Donald Trump. His mission? To convince the Commander-in-Chief that NIL collectives are ruining the game.
During a recent episode of Triple Option, Meyer broke down exactly what he told President Trump. To Meyer, the current system has spiraled out of control. He isn't against players getting paid, in fact, he says they absolutely should, but he believes the collective model is out of whack and essentially functions as legalized cheating.
“My recommendation was eliminate the collective,” Meyer explained. “The University can simply revenue share and that is it. And let the free marketplace take care of any real NIL opportunities.”
The biggest power brokers in the world of sports packed the room. Alongside Meyer and legendary former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban sat NCAA President Charlie Baker and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Even the heavyweights of the Power Four were in attendance: SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, and Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. New York Yankees President Randy Levine also joined the fray to offer his perspective.
Meyer’s argument is simple: simplify and professionalize. By allowing schools to share revenue directly with athletes while letting the actual free market handle legitimate endorsements, the NCAA could eliminate the shadowy world of donor-led collectives.
Interestingly, for a meeting aimed at Saving College Sports, there was a glaring omission. While the suits and legendary coaches debated the future of the industry, not a single current college athlete had a seat at the table. It is a bold, disruptive plan from Meyer, but as the landscape of college athletics continues to shift, he is clearly hoping President Trump can help blow the whistle on the current NIL era.
