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One concern at the forefront of offseason discussions regarding college sports is reform in the current era of name, image and likeness -- or NIL -- deals. President Donald Trump recently met with retired University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, who is currently an analyst on ESPN's "College GameDay." Saban was thought to be Trump's choice to head a proposed commission on college sports. The rumors surrounding Saban taking a job that would assist the NCAA in its governance of college athletics gained more traction after he introduced Trump as commencement speaker for UA's graduation ceremony. Saban has expressed that he believes athletes should be paid, and a Sports Illustrated online article published earlier this month included some of his remarks: "(Players) should make money. But they should have a contract and a responsibility to fulfill, just like a coach does, and there's some penalty if you leave a team and you have a contract."

NIL contract obligations were at the center of former University of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava's controversial departure from the Vols in April. Social media chatter was flooded with opinions, as it was alleged that Iamaleava and his camp sought to renegotiate and double the $2 million annual contract he signed in high school. While only those in Iamaleava's inner circle know what happened, it is clear that the talks broke down, and Iamaleava decided to transfer to the University of California, Los Angeles, where he will be getting considerably less money, according to various sports outlets, and leading a squad predicted to be less than mid-tier in the Big Ten.

Potential breach-of-contract lawsuits could be the next phase of NIL, but the forthcoming House v. NCAA settlement ruling will usher in significant changes in how college athletes are paid. One of these changes would be revenue sharing, in which major conferences would allocate part of their athletic department profits to athletes over the next decade. Payments would be determined based on television revenue designated as NIL from players' appearances on network broadcasts of games.

NIL has forever changed the college landscape that Saban ruled during the prime of his coaching career, and he has put to rest speculations about him heading a commission on college sports, even though Trump is moving forward to launch it. Many are skeptical about the government stepping in when Division I schools and the NCAA are still figuring out how to establish consistent rules for university collectives, boosters and the transfer portal. However, a presidential commission could only provide recommendations to the NCAA. It would not have the authority to legislate changes.

Much of the commission's work would be focused on suggested NIL regulations, but another area I think should be addressed is the culture of big-time college programs. Culture is essential in this period of what college football fans call "bag chasing" -- that is, star athletes in the top D1 revenue-producing sports of football and men's and women's basketball going after the highest bidders during their recruitment or in the transfer portal. Suppose money is the sole motivation for an athlete. In that case, they are most likely not locked into the other benefits they receive from playing sports at the highest college level, such as the opportunity to professionally network, excel in the classroom and build lifelong friendships with their teammates. Ohio State University stresses these principles in its football program, with "the brotherhood" being a key recruiting pitch. As a Buckeye alumna and faculty member, I am most proud of these team values. In addition to winning the 2024 national championship, the OSU football program earned a perfect Academic Progress Rate score of 1000. The APR tracks schools' ability to retain student-athletes and keep them eligible. OSU also did not lose any scholarship football players with NIL contracts to the spring transfer portal window, and over the past two years, Coach Ryan Day has provided space for players to share their Christian faith. Former star running back TreVeyon Henderson recently released a documentary detailing his testimony of overcoming suicidal thoughts and other personal struggles by turning to God. OSU has shown that a character-building culture is essential while pursuing national titles and overseeing NIL deals.

As Trump continues to outline plans for a college sports commission, I hope the necessity of a supporting culture for college athletes will be included as NIL and revenue issues are tackled. NIL needs to be better regulated, but athletes also need to be in settings where they can thrive academically and socially.

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Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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