Former Alabama head football coach Nick Saban gave kudos to President Donald Trump for signing an executive order that sets new restrictions on payments to college athletes. The policy prohibits athletes from receiving pay-to-play payments from third-party sources, though it allows for name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation. Saban, who retired from coaching in 2024 due to the shifting landscape of college sports, praised the move as a critical step in protecting the educational framework of collegiate athletics.