ESPN Analyst Rips U.S. Pres. Trump’s College Sports Commission, Suggests Its All For Show

Like all world leaders, U.S. President Donald Trump constantly faces backlash from people. Now, though, his recent decision to create a “college sports” commission, alongside Texas businessman Cody Campbell, is drawing criticism from fans of college football.

While Trump aims to reshape college recruiting through this initiative, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas isn’t convinced. With decades of experience in sports and law, Bilas has seen countless panels fail to deliver real change, and he doesn’t expect this one to be different. His criticism reflects a growing belief that college sports need action, not more discussions.

ESPN Analyst Predicts More Talk Than Action from Trump’s College Sports Commission

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas isn’t impressed at all by the recent news of Pres. Trump’s proposed college sports commission.  The ESPN analyst, known for his blunt takes on the NCAA, isn’t convinced by former President Donald Trump’s new College Sports Commission.

Speaking with a former Duke star on ON3, Bilas said, “We’ve had the Knight Commission, we had the Rice Commission. Anything with commission on it is probably not going to accomplish anything.”

ESPN’s @JayBilas tells On3’s @PeteNakos_ he’s skeptical of President Trump’s college sports commission:

“We’ve had the Knight Commission, we had the Rice Commission. Anything with commission on it is probably not going to accomplish anything.”

Story: https://t.co/WfmGpkeb8d pic.twitter.com/AFSwOA6HmP

— On3 (@On3sports) May 20, 2025

Trump’s commission, supposedly led by Alabama’s former coach Nick Saban and Texas billionaire Cody Campbell, promises to bring fairness and stability to college sports. However, even Saban himself has expressed doubts.

Still, Saban’s involvement in the matter is up in the air. “I don’t think we really need a commission. I think a lot of people know exactly what the issues are in college football and exactly what we need to do to fix them,” the former ‘Tide coach said recently.

Bilas’ thinking isn’t just another version of Saban’s perspective. He thinks the real problem isn’t a lack of oversight but the NCAA’s failure to evolve. Instead of government panels or restrictive deals, schools should be free to negotiate directly with players.

“The clarity is to let the schools do what they want to do,” Bilas said. “They compete for media rights dollars. They compete for talent. Any agreement they make among themselves to limit one class of person in this multi-billion-dollar entertainment industry is going to be, by definition, a violation of federal antitrust law.”

KEEP READING: Former ‘Bama HC Nick Saban Meets With Texas Tech Donor, Discusses Pres. Trump’s Proposed ‘College Sports’ Commission

Now, with the House v. NCAA case bringing a new $20.5 million revenue-sharing plan, the analyst warns this might just be another version of a pay cap. He says the NCAA will try to use this to push Congress into making those limits official, hurting athletes’ earnings even more.

As the Power Four conferences prepare for the post-House landscape, Trump’s College Sports Commission is entering the conversation at a critical moment. But if Bilas is right, it may end up being just another panel that talks a lot but changes little.