President Trump signed an executive order Friday intended to give the National Collegiate Athletic Association greater authority over college sports and to pressure schools that do not comply with NCAA rules. The order directs federal agencies to evaluate whether violations of key college-sports rules — on transfers, eligibility and pay-for-play — render a university unfit to receive federal grants and contracts, the White House said in a fact sheet.
The order calls for clearer eligibility limits, including a proposed five-year participation window, structured transfer rules, improved medical care for student-athletes, protections against “unscrupulous agent conduct,” and assurances that women’s and Olympic sports are protected. It also urges Congress to pass legislation addressing these issues.
The move targets the current name, image and likeness (NIL) framework that allows some Division I athletes to be paid directly by colleges after a court settlement. That settlement, totaling $2.8 billion, was retroactive and covers NIL opportunities denied from 2016 to 2025, exposing some schools to significant payments. Trump has repeatedly criticized the NIL system, arguing it has “destroyed college sports” and harmed smaller colleges that cannot match large payments to top recruits.
At a college sports roundtable in March, Trump pledged to issue a broad executive order to prompt congressional action. The administration continues to push for standardized NIL rules; legislation like the stalled SCORE Act in the House sought to regulate compensation tied to NIL and strengthen protections for student-athletes.
Supporters of the order say federal leverage is needed to restore uniform standards and protect collegiate athletics and related Olympic pipelines. Critics contend the move could infringe on institutional autonomy and that using federal grants as leverage risks politicizing college sports policy. The White House fact sheet frames the action as an urgent national step “to save college sports.”