MIRAMAR BEACH — Tennessee athletics director Danny White advocated for a collective bargaining agreement in college sports during the SEC spring meetings in Miramar Beach, Florida, on May 26, 2026. He said he has used the term 'CBA'—standing for collective bargaining agreement—in every meeting he has attended over the last three years.

White believes a collective bargaining agreement could address unbalanced name, image, and likeness (NIL) spending and the constant free agency created by the transfer portal. He stated that such an agreement is 'way more important to me than the playoff or really anything in college sports.'

He expressed concern about the health of college sports, Olympic sports, and the student-athlete experience due to frequent transfers. White noted that collective bargaining agreements appear to work well for every professional league in the United States and suggested a similar model could bring stability to college athletics.

A collective bargaining agreement in college sports could require student-athletes to be classified as employees and form a players union. White does not support the SEC or any conference breaking away to create its own collective bargaining agreement or postseason structure, emphasizing the need for a unified approach.

While discussing postseason reform, White said, 'We have such a strong product. We just need to clean up our structure in relation to our athletes and get the postseason right.' He prefers a 24-team College Football Playoff format and favors a hybrid selection model that combines human judgment with objective data inputs. White also said, 'I kind of like the (formulaic approach of the Bowl Championship Series) era where there was something to understand.'

Tennessee reported $304 million in revenue for the 2024-25 fiscal year under White’s leadership. According to On3.com, half the SEC athletics directors, including White, support a 24-team playoff.