President Donald J. Trump Takes Urgent National Action to Save College Sports – The White House

PROTECTING THE FUTURE OF COLLEGE SPORTS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to preserve the unique American institution of college athletics by restoring order, fairness, and stability.

• The Order directs Federal agencies to bolster the effectiveness of key college-sports rules on transferring, eligibility, and pay-for-play by evaluating whether violations of such rules render a university unfit for Federal grants and contracts.
• Simultaneously, the Order calls on the appropriate governing body to update these rules to restore financial stability and protect the future of all college sports, including women’s and Olympic sports by:
  • establishing clear, consistent, and fair eligibility limits, including a five-year participation window;
  • setting structured transfer rules for academic and athletic continuity;
  • ensuring medical care for student-athletes;
  • implementing revenue-sharing in a manner that protects and expands opportunities in women’s and Olympic sports;
  • banning improper financial arrangements including pay-for-play agreements facilitated by collectives and similar entities; and
  • establishing protections against unscrupulous agent conduct.
• The Order directs the Administrator of General Services and the Department of Education to increase data collection across college athletics to ensure compliance.
• The Order directs the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission and the Attorney General to take appropriate enforcement actions.
• The Order also calls on Congress to quickly pass legislation to address these critical issues.

RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLEGE SPORTS AND NEED FOR ACTION AND STABILITY: President Trump recognizes the critical role of American college sports in fostering leadership, education, and community pride, and that decisive action is needed to address urgent threats to its future.

• College sports is a uniquely American institution that produces great athletes and leaders, fuels our Olympic dominance, and forms an indelible part of American culture and communities.
  • College athletics support over 500,000 student-athletes with nearly $4 billion in scholarships annually, helping forge America’s future leaders, driving local economies, and shaping national culture.
  • The collegiate athletic system produced 75 percent of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team and has yielded countless business and civic leaders.
• But the future of college sports—and especially women’s and Olympic sports—is under serious threat, as lawsuits have weakened the rules and created a financial arms race that threatens to put many university athletic programs out of business.
• College sports cannot function without clear, agreed-upon rules concerning pay-for-play and player eligibility that can’t be endlessly challenged in court, as is the case now.
• The resulting chaos is creating financial pressures that threaten to drain resources from all sports except football and basketball, and from many universities altogether.
• While Congress is strongly encouraged to expeditiously pass legislation, further delay is not an option given what is at stake and the turmoil and instability currently facing universities across the nation.

PROMOTING A LEGACY OF ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE: This Executive Order builds on President Trump’s longstanding commitment to showcasing American greatness through sports and recognition of its value in forging American leaders and culture.

• President Trump previously signed an Executive Order providing a clear vision for protecting student-athletes and collegiate athletic scholarships and opportunities, including in Olympic and non-revenue programs, and the unique American institution of college sports.
• President Trump recently held a roundtable at the White House to address the future of college sports, where he pledged to sign today’s Executive Order.
• President Trump signed an Executive Order to keep men out of women’s sports, ensuring equal opportunities for women in sports.
• President Trump played a pivotal role in securing the United States’ bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the United States’ bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
• President Trump has attended countless sporting events and hosted numerous teams at the White House.