Urban Meyer Slams NCAA President Over Tampering Accusations

The college football Hall-of-Famer criticizes Charlie Baker's leadership amid transfer portal and NIL disputes.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 5:15pm

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Urban Meyer, the former college football coach, harshly criticized NCAA president Charlie Baker over the league's handling of tampering accusations and the broader state of college athletics. Meyer dismissed calls for a new commissioner, arguing the NCAA already has leadership in place but lacks accountability in enforcing existing rules, particularly around the new NIL era and transfer portal.

Why it matters

Meyer's comments highlight the growing frustration among coaches and administrators over the NCAA's perceived inability to properly govern college sports amid the changing landscape of name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and the increased player mobility through the transfer portal.

The details

Meyer's criticism came in response to the recent tampering accusations between Clemson and Ole Miss, where Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney accused Ole Miss and head coach Pete Golding of 'blatant tampering' after linebacker Luke Ferrelli backed out of a reported agreement with Clemson to transfer to Ole Miss. Meyer dismissed calls for a new college football commissioner, arguing the NCAA under Baker's leadership already has the structure in place but lacks the will to enforce existing rules, particularly around NIL and the transfer portal.

  • The tampering accusations between Clemson and Ole Miss escalated last week.
  • Meyer made his comments on Wednesday's The Triple Option podcast.

The players

Urban Meyer

A college football Hall-of-Famer and former head coach who is now a prominent analyst.

Charlie Baker

The current president of the NCAA, who has faced criticism over the organization's handling of issues like NIL and the transfer portal.

Dabo Swinney

The head coach of the Clemson Tigers football team, who accused Ole Miss of tampering with one of his recruits.

Pete Golding

The head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels football team, who was accused by Clemson of tampering.

Luke Ferrelli

A linebacker who backed out of a reported agreement to play for Clemson and instead transferred to Ole Miss, sparking the tampering accusations.

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What they’re saying

“What the hell are you doing?' Meyer said. 'I would love to ask him, just say, 'Hey, I have a lot of respect and everything, but what are you going to do?' Can you imagine that answer?'”

— Urban Meyer, College Football Hall-of-Famer and Analyst (The Triple Option Podcast)

What’s next

The NCAA is expected to continue facing scrutiny over its handling of NIL rules and the transfer portal, as high-profile coaches like Meyer call for stronger enforcement and accountability from league leadership.

The takeaway

Meyer's scathing criticism of NCAA president Charlie Baker underscores the growing frustration among college football coaches and administrators over the organization's perceived inability to properly govern the sport amid the changing landscape of NIL deals and increased player mobility through the transfer portal.