By Justin Williams, Sam Khan Jr. and Chris Vannini
Plans for a presidential commission exploring issues in college sports have been paused, a source familiar with the plans confirmed to The Athletic on Thursday.
The commission will be paused indefinitely as members of Congress continue to pursue legislation in hopes of addressing major issues facing college sports, the source said. There is no definitive timetable for when the commission could resume, but planning and coordinating could continue in the interim. Yahoo Sports was the first to report that the commission would be paused.
Former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Texas Tech board of regents chair Cody Campbell were the expected co-chairs of the commission and met in person last week and were said to be aligned on key issues. A presidential commission would typically dig into various aspects of an issue or enterprise and deliver a report suggesting possible solutions that could involve executive and legislative action.
But Saban has publicly downplayed the need for a commission in recent public statements.
During a May 14 appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” Saban simultaneously downplayed the commission’s necessity while advocating for solutions from a group of people.
“Well, first of all, I don’t know a lot…
