Trump Vows Executive Order to 'Fix' College Sports NIL System
Trump promised an executive order within a week to address NIL costs as lawmakers weigh bills on pooling TV rights and the SCORE Act.
CBS NewsAt college sports roundtable, Trump says 'whole educational system' could go out of business unless fixed
CNNTrump says ‘whole educational system’ could go out of business without fixes to college sports | CNN
USA TODAYTrump roundtable shows college sports leaders still have no clue how to fix broken system
Associated PressTrump says 'whole educational system' could go out of business without fixes to college sports
CNBCTrump vows executive order to 'fix' college sports NIL payments 'mess'
Overview
President Donald Trump said he would issue an "all-encompassing" executive order within a week to "fix" the NIL payments system and said he expected it would be sued.
An essay by the University of Louisville president and athletic director said Louisville's athletic department is running a $12.5 million deficit, and participants said many schools are drowning in red ink from NIL costs.
Senators Eric Schmitt and Maria Cantwell said they will introduce a bill next week to allow conferences to pool media rights, and House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested the SCORE Act could now pass.
No student-athletes were invited to the East Room meeting despite the NCAA counting 550,000 college athletes, and Texas Tech regent Cody Campbell told the president pooling TV rights could raise about $6 billion.
Participants said Congress must address both costs and revenue, with Sen. Ted Cruz urging action on both sides and Trump warning the executive order will likely prompt litigation.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as an institutional crisis requiring policy fixes, using urgent lede placement and selective sourcing to amplify administrators and lawmakers over athletes. They foreground Trump’s apocalyptic claim, cite budget shortfalls (Louisville’s $12.5 million), and highlight officials’ policy proposals while giving legal counterpoints less prominence.
FAQ
NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) allows college athletes to earn money from endorsements and sponsorships using their personal brand, but it has led to unregulated payments, bidding wars, and financial deficits for many athletic departments.
Trump plans to issue an 'all-encompassing' executive order within a week to regulate the NIL payments system, address costs, restore order in college sports economics, and likely face lawsuits.
The SCORE Act would grant the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption, protect against lawsuits on eligibility rules, prohibit athletes from being employees of schools, and ban using student fees for NIL payments.
Attendees included NCAA President Charlie Baker, Nick Saban, Clay Travis, New York Yankees President Randy Levine, Power Four commissioners, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and various politicians, university leaders, and athletic directors.
Senators Eric Schmitt and Maria Cantwell plan to introduce a bill next week allowing conferences to pool media rights, potentially raising about $6 billion.[1]
