Is college football in need of a sheriff to tame its modern frontier? The conversation around appointing a commissioner for the sport is heating up, but one of its most decorated coaches wants no part of the badge. Urban Meyer, the former Ohio State and Florida championship-winning coach, has firmly taken himself out of the running.
"I Would Not": Meyer's Firm Stance
During a recent appearance on Colin Cowherd's show, Meyer was directly asked if he'd be interested in stepping into a commissioner role to help steer the sport. His response was immediate and definitive. "I would not," Meyer stated, shifting the focus from creating new regulations to upholding the ones already on the books.
Instead of adding to the rulebook, Meyer pinpointed the core issue plaguing the game. "The last thing that college football needs is more rules," he argued. "The rules are in place. Now they're not enforced. So it's like a big city where all of a sudden you have laws that no one's enforcing. It's chaos." He highlighted examples like tampering and spending violations that occur without consequence, creating an uneven and frantic landscape.
A Nod to a Rival
If not Meyer, then who? The coach pointed to his longtime sideline adversary, Nick Saban. Meyer suggested the recently retired Alabama legend might be a more fitting candidate, noting Saban's deep love for the game and previous expressions of interest in shaping its future. "I should've asked Coach Saban on the third hole or fourth hole the other day if he'd be interested," Meyer quipped, referencing a recent golf outing. He believes any effective solution requires universal collaboration, a challenge in today's fragmented environment.
The current state of affairs is a far cry from the NCAA's once-formidable authority. There was a time when mere rumors of violations could bring severe penalties. Today, the association's power has dramatically weakened, losing key legal battles that have emboldened programs and players. The result is a system where the line between amateur and professional athlete is now largely semantic, existing only in the fine print.
The Enforcement Vacuum
Meyer's comments underscore a widespread feeling that college football has outgrown its governing body. The NCAA's inability to police its own regulations has created a vacuum, leading to the rampant free agency and financial maneuvering that defines the current era. This isn't about a lack of guidelines; it's about a lack of accountability. Rules against improper benefits, recruiting contact, and financial caps are widely known but often ignored, with little to no risk of punishment.
This landscape is the product of a long-brewing storm. Court rulings have consistently chipped away at the NCAA's amateurism model, deeming many of its restrictions unlawful. While the association survives, its authority to maintain competitive balance and institutional control has evaporated. The sport has ballooned into a multi-billion dollar enterprise that its traditional overseers can no longer effectively manage.
Where does this leave the future? Meyer's perspective suggests that simply installing a single commissioner won't magically fix the chaos. The foundation must be a collective agreement from all power brokers—conferences, schools, and networks—to submit to a unified set of enforced standards. Without that buy-in and a legitimate mechanism for punishment, the sport risks further fragmentation.
The clock is ticking for college football to find its footing. As Meyer frames it, the solution isn't about writing new laws for a lawless land. It's about having the courage and the structure to finally enforce the ones already written, before the game's competitive integrity is lost for good.
