AROUND NIL | Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau among those invited to White House college sports roundtable
- Mar 4
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 23
Editor's note: This headline has been updated. Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau were invited to the roundtable but were unable to attend.
Feb. 28, 2026—President Trump plans to host a “Saving College Sports Roundtable" on Friday, bringing together more than 35 voices to talk through the growing concerns in college athletics. The focus will center around NIL and revenue sharing, the transfer portal, NCAA enforcement, and the ongoing debate over federal legislation.
Trump will chair the event with Vice Chairs Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Yankees president Randy Levine. Invited participants include Nick Saban, NCAA president Charlie Baker, all four Power 4 commissioners, NBA commissioner Adam Silver, and Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau.
Critics note a glaring omission: no current college athletes are on the invite list, even though the decisions in that room will shape their careers and earning windows. There’s also a basic mechanics problem — squeezing 35-plus power brokers, each with their own agenda, into a single afternoon and expecting anything more than statements and soundbites.
Backers frame it differently. They see value in simply bringing this many powerful names into one room with the President and say that alone signals that Washington is finally ready to step in—pressure they hope nudges Congress to move on legislation that has sat idle for years.
While the White House has confirmed the event, several people involved in the planning still put the odds of it going off as scheduled at no better than 50-50, with scheduling shifts and escalating global tensions as the main variables.
The White House convenes 35+ college sports leaders Friday for a roundtable tackling NIL, revenue sharing, and the transfer portal | Ivan Marc Sanchez
March 2, 2026—As NIL cash floods college athletics, a disturbing trend emerges on two fronts: young athletes being exploited before signing deals—and burned legally afterward.
With no national certification standards, commission caps, or oversight body, there is nothing stopping virtually anyone from becoming an NIL agent. ESPN reports uncertified middlemen increasingly targeting high schoolers, sometimes charging 15-30% commissions with little to offer in return. A December survey of 1,000 college athletes found 18% received deal help in high school, with 67% of those athletes agreeing to hand over a percentage of their earnings.
The fallout continues post-signature. Cincinnati’s $1 million breach-of-contract suit against QB Brendan Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech after allegedly violating his NIL terms, exposes the fallout from poor legal guidance on complex deals. Yahoo Sports flagged the case as a stark warning of unqualified reps exposing athletes to major liability.
The FTC took notice in January 2026, querying 20 Division I schools on agent practices. Yet experts warn current laws fall far short of the certification regime this industry demands.
