Nick Saban to appear in TV commercial in support of Protect College Sports Act

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban is set to appear in a TV commercial in support of the Protect College Sports Act, On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed. The ad will debut this weekend during Week 1 of college football.

Saban has been a supporter of the bipartisan bill, introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) in May. The hope was it would receive a vote in the U.S. Senate before legislators broke for a month-long recess, but that will have to wait until lawmakers return later this month.

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In the meantime, a commercial began to air during Week 0 in support of the Protect College Sports Act, and Saban will appear in one that will hit the airwaves beginning Week 1 – the first Saturday with multiple college football games in every TV window throughout the day.

Saban is a key advisor to President Donald Trump, who has been vocal about his desire for legislation to settle the college athletics landscape. The legendary coach is part of a presidential commission on college sports and recently spoke about why he’s in favor of the Protect College Sports Act even though he said it’s not “perfect.”

“I think a lot of the issues that we have right now could be resolved in this bill, if people would get on board with it,” Saban said at the Nick Saban Legacy Awards. “But it’s not perfect. But the thing about it is, democracy is not perfect, but it’s better than everything else. Tell me something better. This bill is not perfect, but it’s better than everything else, and it’s certainly 100 times better than what we have now, and it probably solves 80% of the problems. We want to stay focused on 20% of the problems that it doesn’t solve.

“But if you just solve one transfer, control NIL to some degree in terms of a level playing field and five years of eligibility, you would answer your own question about the guy from the Cleveland Browns. Five years of eligibility.”

The Protect College Sports Act was on track for a full vote on the Senate floor after advancing out of a committee vote and markup. Additionally, lawmakers received support from both the SEC and Big Ten in late July after negotiations throughout the week leading up to the break for recess.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) filed for cloture, a key step toward a floor vote, but the bill did not get there before the break. However, Cruz and bill co-sponsor Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said in a statement the Protect College Sports Act is “guaranteed” to reach the Senate floor when lawmakers come back. They are due to return Sept. 14.

In the meantime, the legislation received more support Tuesday. The FBS Athletics Directors Association sent a letter to lawmakers in favor of the bill with less than two weeks to go until they head back to Washington, D.C.

“We believe this legislation addresses the issues where congressional action is most needed,” the letter reads, in part. “Our members feel the impacts of today’s fragmented legal and regulatory environment firsthand.

“The current system has contributed to annual roster turnover, inconsistent eligibility guidance, unregulated agent activity, recruiting inducements, and school-connected spending routed through third parties to circumvent a common framework. These are not theoretical concerns; they directly affect student-athletes, coaches, institutions, and the ability of athletics departments to operate with consistency and predictability.”