Paul Finebaum on what Greg Sankey, George Kliavkoff trip to Washington will mean for college football, NIL

After SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff met with US Senators this past Thursday to discuss federal NIL legislation, many were hopeful it could spark change for a growing area of concern in college athletics. But according to ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum, the trip to Washington isn’t likely to lead to immediate change for NIL.

In a Monday appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Finebaum explained what he believes the meeting between conference commissioners and US Senators really accomplished.

“Right now, I don’t think it will have much impact because of the state of affairs in Washington,” the ESPN analyst said. “It could later on. I think it’s a good move because there are a lot of big issues out there even beyond NIL. Anti-trust concerns are probably near or at the top of that list. I think it’s important to establish relationships and continue the dialogue — especially the senator from Tennessee, Marsha Blackburn, (who) seems to really have a burr in her side for (NCAA president) Mark Emmert. So I think that’s a smart move, but expecting congress in the short term to bail college athletics out is a pipe dream. It’s just not going to happen.”

Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released a statement after the meeting criticizing Emmert and the NCAA, calling NCAA President Mark Emmert’s resignation “one of the many structural changes” needed across the organization.

In his conversation Monday, Finebaum also addressed the unlikely teaming up of Sankey and Kliavkoff, as the SEC commissioner has been at odds with the rest of the Power 5 over the past year. He pointed to the fact that Sankey is the co-chairman for the Division I Transformation Committee, which is charged with overhauling rules in response to the issues that continually challenge college athletics.

This is to say his power extends well beyond that of the SEC, and he likely wanted to help patch up some relationships after an alliance was formed against his conference this past August.

“They are about as far apart as you could get, but right now if you’re Greg Sankey, you’re not finding many friends out there. Your closest friend among the Power 5 is (Big 12 commissioner) Bob Bowslby, who spent the past eight months throwing poison darts at your picture on a Ouija board. The other three — the Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 — are now part of this ridiculous alliance. I really don’t know how it came about, but I think commissioner Sankey probably saw it as an opportunity to go up there and continue a dialogue that maybe one day later, especially after Mark Emmert is gone, might bring some fruition.”

Hours after Paul Finebaum’s appearance on the radio show, the NCAA Board of Directors sent out new guidance clarifying the current NIL rules and prohibiting boosters from recruiting. Although that may sound significant, in reality it isn’t really anything new more than it is a more clear outline of how to follow the NCAA’s interim policy. Many college coaches and leaders were actually disappointed by how little of an impact the announcement will have in the long run, they told On3’s Jeremy Crabtree.

All in all, the meeting Thursday was a step in the right direction, but there’s still a long way to go.