President Donald Trump is likely to sign an executive order regarding college sports this week, following a roundtable he held last month to discuss various pressing issues.
CBS News suggested that the order, which would be Trump’s second on the topic, could be signed as soon as Friday. The intent appears to be to reinforce the NCAA’s oversight of athletes during this new phase focused on name, image, and likeness (NIL) regulations.
In the previous month, Trump convened NCAA President Charlie Baker, former University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, New York Yankees President Randy Levine, and commissioners from key conferences to tackle crucial issues related to NCAA control, NIL matters, collective bargaining, and governance concerns.
During the discussion, Trump emphasized, “I think this is the future beyond college sports. This is the future of universities.” He noted the staggering financial implications for schools that, despite being successful, might face significant losses. “We have to save college sports, we have to save universities, and I believe that,” he said.
He observed some unusual trends, mentioning, “Crazy things are happening. We have seventh-year freshmen. College players don’t want to go pro because they earn more in college.” Trump indicated he would develop the executive order “based on great common sense.”
The SCORE Act was a significant topic during the meeting. A vote was anticipated for December, but it was called off unexpectedly. Even though the White House backed the legislation, three Republican senators broke ranks, siding with Democrats against it. The proposed law aims to provide limited antitrust immunity to the NCAA and prevent athletes from becoming school employees, as well as restrict funding using student fees for NIL payments.
A prior executive order from July prohibited player payments from third-party sources but did not restrict NIL payments to college athletes from those sources. It also aimed to ensure schools invest in non-revenue sports.
Just before Trump’s upcoming order was announced, a judge had approved a settlement between the NCAA and attorneys representing Division I athletes. The agreement will see the NCAA pay close to $2.8 billion over the next decade to athletes who participated from 2016 to 2025, also permitting direct payment to athletes from college programs.
Last month, Trump signed an executive order that ensured the Army-Navy game remains a distinct competition.
