A star-studded group of leaders from across the sports world gathered at the White House on Friday, but not everyone believes the meeting will produce meaningful results.
President Donald Trump hosted the “Saving College Sports Roundtable,” a high-profile discussion focused on the challenges facing modern college athletics. The event began at 4 p.m. ET and featured many of the most influential figures in the sports industry.
Trump chaired the roundtable, with Ron DeSantis and Randy Levine serving as vice chairs.
Several major conference commissioners were in attendance, including Greg Sankey, Tony Petitti, Jim Phillips, and Brett Yormark. Charlie Baker also participated, bringing the governing body’s leadership into the conversation.
Despite the impressive lineup, longtime college football analyst Paul Finebaum isn’t convinced the meeting will accomplish much.
Speaking on the Another Dooley Noted Podcast with Pat Dooley, Finebaum suggested the roundtable may be too large and too tightly scheduled to produce meaningful discussion or solutions.
“First of all, any of us who have ever been in a small meeting, let alone a large one, and on top of that, it’s being hosted by the President of the United States. If you have 45 people in a room and a finite period of time, somewhere between an hour and two hours, who is going to be able to speak?” Finebaum said.
He continued by pointing out that in meetings of that scale, the people who do get the opportunity to speak typically come prepared with prewritten remarks and limited time to offer detailed ideas.
“So… what is going to get accomplished?” Finebaum asked.
While Finebaum acknowledged that the willingness of leaders to gather and discuss the issues facing college athletics is a positive step, he remains skeptical about the long-term impact.
“I know that’s a negative view,” Finebaum added. “I think it’s a positive that people are talking. But we’ve had talks for five years, and nothing has happened.”
Whether the meeting ultimately leads to meaningful reform or simply sparks another round of discussion remains to be seen. But if Finebaum is right, and early responses seem to think so, the gathering may generate headlines without necessarily producing solutions.
