Pete Thamel on congressional help in college sports: 'A lot of skepticism' despite President Donald Trump interest

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that there is skepticism about congressional help in college sports, despite President Donald Trump’s interest. The President recently shared the golf course with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua.

But, there doesn’t seem to be an easy fix to college sports’ problems. While President Trump wants to help, it’s hard to get started on what needs to be done first amid the House Settlement.

Revenue sharing is here, but who knows how well it’ll be balanced moving forward. Not to mention the fact President Trump has plenty of other things to worry about.

“I think the point you made, Paul, about other things happening in the world is a key one,” Thamel said on The Paul Finebaum Show. “In that time where there was chatter about a commission that never happened, he took a trip to the Middle East. Things are happening in the Middle East. There are, maybe not to your audience, but there are more important things in the world going on than college athletics, and that’s part of what Trump is balancing or showing interest. 

“But at the same time, obviously, having to serve the vast other issues that are happening around college athletics. he does have a long standing relationship with Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua. You mentioned that he’s the former PGA Tour Commissioner. Obviously, Trump owns golf courses, so those two have interacted a lot, and so as far as I’ve been able to glean, it was a little bit more of a fact finding mission from Trump. He seems willing to help, but no one is quite sure how that can help Congress get to the finish line. That’s obviously its own unique set of complications.

“And for all the dozen or so hearings there’s been in rumblings about bills, there is really there is really not been any significant congressional movement towards helping college sports. And when I’ve been getting calls on this, there was a lot of skepticism, whether there actually ever will be.”

Congressman Michael Baumgartner recently pleaded with President Trump to save college sports. He argued, pretty much, against the House Settlement and what it entails.

“The House settlement locks in an unsustainable model that enriches the power conferences at the expense of everyone else – walk-ons, women’s teams, Olympic sports,” Baumgartner said in a statement. “And just like Teddy Roosevelt saved college football in 1905, President Trump can step in to save college sports today. My Restore College Sports Act is the roadmap, with fair revenue-sharing, rationalized conferences, and reasonable student compensation.”