Two of the biggest names in college football spent last week doing something neither of them usually does for free: selling an idea directly to Congress. Deion Sanders and Nick Saban both appear in TV ad spots pushing lawmakers to pass the Protect College Sports Act, and according to a source familiar with the matter, neither man took a paycheck for it.
Sanders filmed his 30-second spot on Colorado’s campus, sunglasses on, Buffs gear head to toe. The pitch leaned straight into his brand.
“The biggest crowds. The brightest lights. Now that’s prime-time,” Sanders says in the ad. “And as a coach and father, I’m helping the next generation find their spotlight. That’s why I support the Protect College Sports Act.”
Saban’s version leans more sentimental, filmed from what looks like a home office. “College sports are built on tradition,” he says. “The pride in our schools. The rivalries we pass down. And the way they develop the character of tomorrow’s leaders. That tradition is worth defending.”
First at FOS: Nick Saban and Deion Sanders are starring in political ads for free.
The commercials are part of a $10 million push from Saving College Sports urging Congress to pass the Protect College Sports Act.
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Saban hasn’t stopped at the commercial either. He’s testified in front of the Senate on the bill, taking a position that put him at odds with his own former school and conference. He’s also sat in on Trump’s Saving College Sports roundtable back in February and stayed involved with the presidential committees that followed. Sanders hasn’t been nearly as visible in Washington, but his ad alone puts his face and his endorsement in front of millions of viewers on a college football Saturday.
The bill itself has changed shape several times since a bipartisan group of senators introduced it back in May. At its core, it would hand the NCAA an antitrust exemption, giving the organization legal cover to actually enforce its own eligibility and NIL rules without getting sued every time it does. It would also let conferences pool their media rights together when negotiating broadcast deals, a piece longtime advocate Cody Campbell has pushed for since the roundtable talks began.
Neither Sanders nor Saban’s camp responded to a request for comment on the ad campaign. For two coaches who rarely do anything without getting paid for it, showing up in a political ad for free says something about how much this bill actually means to them, whichever side of the debate a fan happens to land on.