The organizers have already set the panel announcement for the “Saving College Sports Roundtable.” It features CFB legends like Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, and Tim Tebow, along with 40 other invitees. And as of today, Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard is also one of them. However, the most shocking part is Pollard’s excitement to be in this meeting alongside US President Donald Trump.

“It’s an honor to be asked,” Pollard said.

Pollard’s zeal for this meeting is raising a lot of eyebrows. The supporters see it as a necessary thing for a leader to seek federal clarity on “slippery slope” issues like the heavy involvement of NIL in college athletics. It has more or less tarnished the beauty of the sport. For example, recently, many programs have tampered with college athletes. The NCAA’s 2026 transfer portal window has firsthand witnessed many players leaving their teams for more money.

Some are even unethically flipping their commitment for a major seven-figure deal after starting classes at a university (Luke Ferrelli case). The concerns don’t stop there. Piling up of lawsuits in college sports and the involvement of a third party to pay the players to get on board are also happening. All these things should be debated, but there is also a negative impact of this. Critics view the event as an overreach of government involvement in sports or a political “photo op.”

Some fans expressed concern that the administration’s involvement might prioritize political agendas over the practical needs of mid-sized programs like Iowa State, like the recent suspension of the Iowa State gymnastics program. On February 8th, the school’s athletic department abruptly cancelled the remainder of its 2026 women’s gymnastics season.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

The officials cited safety reasons and roster size when they took the action. But a letter from Pollard revealed that complex internal conflicts drove the decision. Following it, the school took no time in closing the gym. That, in turn, forced gymnasts to train at private local gyms. There, they must navigate a restrictive NCAA rule that prohibits more than two athletes from practicing together at the same time.

So instead of fixing the problems at your own house, why would someone participate in fixing a broader problem? Other than that, critics also criticize this event for not including any current college athletes. The current athletes could explain the practical challenges of compressed transfer windows, such as the 15-day periods. It’s when they had very little time to decide on a particular landing spot.

Instead of them, Trump has called more than two dozen athletic directors, university presidents, commissioners, current and former politicians, professional athletes, business executives, and professional sports executives. But the list may change significantly. Because of that, multiple reports indicate it remains unclear if all invited individuals will ultimately attend.

On top of that, some invitees remain skeptical and believe the meeting could be rescheduled or canceled. And even though Nick Saban was one of the first people to be approached by Donald Trump about this meeting, he has previously turned down a political position to have a civilized discussion of these issues.

Nick Saban’s prediction comes true

Last year in May, someone gave Nick Saban a proposal to lead a presidential commission on college sports alongside Cody Campbell (another roundtable invitee). The commission would examine issues like player movement, athlete employment, and Title IX. However, even though it made a lot of noise, Saban expressed personal skepticism about the necessity of a formal commission.

Saban discussed this issue with Donald Trump during a meeting. The sole reason why the former Alabama head coach retired from CFB was that he “believed the influx of money had damaged college sports.” But even after mutual concerns, Saban was not that sold on having a separate body to deal with these things.

“I know there’s been a lot of stuff out there about some commission or whatever. I don’t think we need a commission,” Saban said at his Nick’s Kids golf tournament. “I’ve said that before. We know what the issues are. We just have to have people who are willing to move those and solve those and create some solutions for some of those issues.”

However, the 73-year-old did express the idea of a discussion that needed to take place.

“I’m all for being a consultant to anybody who would think that my experience would be beneficial to helping create some of those solutions.”

That means the roundtable event is really not a surprise, as the CFB GOAT actually predicted this a year back.