President Donald Trump laid out new ground rules for college-level sports and athletes in a new executive order being praised by some of the biggest names in collegiate sports.
However, some of the president’s proposed limitations are sure to bother some, especially top-earning college athletes.
‘I urge Congress to pass bipartisan legislation and SAVE COLLEGE SPORTS!’
Following a college sports roundtable at the White House in March, the president signed an executive order on Friday to implement “Urgent National Action to Save College Sports.”
The order puts a theoretical cap on student-athlete pay, sets a five-year window for athlete eligibility, and even limits transfers to one per student-athlete in a five-year period.
At the same time, the order — and subsequent fact sheet — make clear and repeated mention of the president’s intention to boost women’s and Olympic sports at the college level. This includes “implementing revenue-sharing in a manner that protects and expands opportunities in women’s and Olympic sports.”
In response, legendary college football coach Nick Saban said the directives allow universities to “preserve opportunities for all sports, including women’s and Olympic sports, not just football and basketball.”
Saban, who coached Alabama from 2007 to 2023, told Fox News that he wanted to “thank the president” for helping “manage and fund all sports.”
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Similarly, Arkansas men’s basketball coach John Calipari came out in defense of the president against any criticisms surrounding the limitation on student-athlete revenue.
“I’ve spent my entire life focusing on the success and well being of student athletes,” Calipari wrote on X Saturday. “Their success in both sports and academics is paramount. I have no problem with Athletes making money and I have had that stance for many years. But what we have been dealing with the last few years is harmful not only to their total success but also the longevity of College Sports as we know it.”
Calipari added: “Yesterday, President Trump took bold action to preserve and protect Collegiate Athletics. I urge Congress to pass bipartisan legislation and SAVE COLLEGE SPORTS!”
Trump’s executive order made specific mention of an alleged “fraudulent name, image, likeness (NIL) scheme” where student-athletes were being paid above “actual fair market value” to play for certain programs.
The idea behind the regulation is to prevent “pay-for-play or player eligibility” in which large schools would essentially pay student-athletes large sums of money through collectives or sponsorships to entice them to their program.
Otherwise, the order states, “fair competition cannot occur.”
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Trump’s executive order defines the fair market value compensation cap around how much a student-athlete can be paid by a third party that is not affiliated with a school’s athletic department.
Henceforth, the student-athlete would have to be paid at rates commensurate with that of non-student-athletes of similar notoriety or fame.
Trump has called on Congress to pass the SCORE Act, which, aside from the above, would prevent schools from restricting students from entering NIL agreements and require schools that generate more than $20 million annually to provide medical benefits to student-athletes, while maintaining at least 16 varsity sports teams.
Trump’s executive order is currently set to take effect August 1.
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