Trump Convenes Star-Studded Roundtable To ‘Save College Sports’

President Donald Trump, as well as some of the biggest names in sports, are at the White House Friday for a roundtable discussion on college sports.

“The president wants to save college sports,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Friday, “It’s very important to him and to so many athletes across the country to fix the broken system.”

According to Fox News, the president is fed up with the overspending on players and the constant transfer of players between schools. A big focus of the meeting will be how to rein in NIL, which stands for name, image, and likeness. NIL is how the players make their millions. Another area of focus will be collective bargaining.

“The president is saying enough is enough,” Darren Botelho said.

Trump is not against players being paid, but instead he is focusing on keeping college sports as amateur as it can be in the new NIL era.

Trump will be the chair of the Saving College Sports Roundtable, alongside vice chairs Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and New York Yankees President Randy Levine.

Notable sports figures attending Friday’s gathering include Nick Saban, Tiger Woods, Urban Meyer, and Tony Dungy.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is set to attend alongside several NCAA conference commissioners and media execs. In total, more than 30 people will be in attendance. As of now, there are no current players or coaches participating in the roundtable.

In response to the lack of current athletes attending the roundtable, Temple University football player Kahlil Poteat said: “We deserve a seat at the table. We as athletes are the reason the stands are filled, logos are worn, and the game thrives the way it does. Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed about making it to the Division I level to play the sport I love. It is unfair and unfaithful to hold a discussion without the main attraction in mind. We deserve a say, just like the executives and leaders, in sports and in our futures. I believe that we, as athletes at every level, deserve to be at the table and fight for our best interest. We want college sports to thrive just like everyone else in the room. So let’s bond together to generate the best outcome for all.”

Trump hasn’t shied away from sports during his second term; the president signed an executive order to ban third-party pay-for-play payments, while allowing legitimate NIL endorsement deals. He also called on schools to expand “opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports.”

Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has long supported Trump getting involved with the landscape of college sports. Last May, Tuberville said he is confident the Trump administration can find a solution to the current chaos at the college level.

“While I’m all for players making money, we need to create national standards to protect the integrity of college sports,” Tuberville said.