Power 4 Conference commissioners are expected to join dozens of sports celebrities and dignitaries at a March 6 White House roundtable discussion with President Donald Trump about the future of college athletics, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
President Trump will chair the group, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and New York Yankees President Randy Levine are listed as vice chairs, according to a source who provided the list of 35 people who have received invitations. The list also includes:
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Golfer Tiger Woods
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Former college football coaches Nick Saban, Mack Brown and Urban Meyer
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Former Secretary of State and College Football Playoff Selection Committee member Condoleezza Rice
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New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver
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Fox Sports President Eric Shanks
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ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pietro
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Several athletic directors, including Notre Dame’s Pete Bevacqua
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Former college athletes including Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Florida State basketball and football player Charlie Ward
The current university presidents and chancellors are also on the list. No active head coach is included on the team.
It is unknown if everyone invited will attend the event, called the “College Sports Roundtable.” Multiple sources planning to attend expressed skepticism Friday afternoon about how much can be done involving so many people from different backgrounds.
“These are the people who can be involved in shaping the future of college athletics and helping shape some of the solutions and strategies for the athletic world moving forward,” said a source planning to attend. “It’s so early, it’s hard to say anything with any kind of certainty because nothing has been handed down to us in writing like this yet.”
Also expected to be involved is billionaire businessman Cody Campbell, chairman of Texas Tech’s board of regents and a former college football player, who is working on a “Saving College Sports” campaign and has been involved in discussions about a potential roundtable for more than a year.
Leaders from across college athletics have also been meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill for years to rally support for legislation to help regulate the NIL. Despite Trump’s clear support and multiple politicians taking positions on issues such as athlete employment, the NCAA has been unable to get a bill to the floor for a vote.
Yahoo Sports first reported the meeting.
