President Trump Implements New Executive Order on College Athlete Payments
In a significant move for college athletics, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that introduces new regulations surrounding payments to college athletes. This order specifically prohibits "pay-to-play" arrangements from third-party sources, ensuring that athletes cannot receive payments in exchange for their participation. However, it is important to note that the order does not limit Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) payments that athletes can receive from these same sources.
As part of recent developments in collegiate sports, colleges and universities are now permitted to pay athletes directly following the House v. NCAA settlement reached last month. This change has sparked concerns regarding the potential impact on resources allocated to women’s sports and non-revenue generating men’s sports, particularly as universities compete for top talent in football and men’s basketball.
In response to these concerns, the executive order emphasizes the necessity of preserving resources for non-revenue sports. According to the order, any revenue-sharing arrangements between universities and college athletes must be structured in a way that safeguards opportunities for women’s sports and other less-publicized athletic programs. The directive states, "The Order provides that any revenue-sharing permitted between universities and collegiate athletes should be implemented in a manner that protects women’s and non-revenue sports." It further mandates the preservation and, where feasible, the expansion of scholarships and competitive opportunities for these programs.
While the initial announcement did not provide specific guidelines on how to ensure these sports are adequately funded, the order assigns various governmental figures—including the U.S. Attorney General and the Secretary of Labor—to oversee the protection of student-athlete rights and implement further measures.
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About the Author: Jackson Thompson is a seasoned sports writer for Fox News Digital. With a background at ESPN and Business Insider, he has covered prestigious events like the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed sports legends such as Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz, and Roger Clemens.
