President Trump signs order intended to stabilize college sports, threatens lost federal funding

President Trump signed an executive order Friday aimed at fixing college sports that would give federal agencies the authority to cut funding to schools that fail to meet mandates covering transfers, eligibility and pay-to-play in a rapidly changing industry.

The order is a long list of proposed solutions, many of which have been pushed for by lawmakers and university leaders since the approval of a $2.8 billion settlement changed the face of games that were once played by pure amateurs.

Among the notable elements of the order was a call to establish “clear, consistent and fair eligibility limits, including a five-year participation window” — an element that could fend off the dozens of lawsuits the NCAA has faced in recent times.

It also calls for “structured transfer rules” but offers no specifics on a system that would allow players to move freely, sometimes in the middle of the season, adding to uncertainty in squad building that many see as unsustainable.

As much as the changes he orders, Trump’s call to the Department of Education, the Federal Trade Commission and the attorney general’s office to assess “whether violations of these rules render a university ineligible for federal grants and contracts” appears to be a proactive way to force change.

Several universities across the country have made policy changes related to diversity, equity and inclusion, transgender rights and even the type of courses they teach in order to comply with federal orders and avoid funding-related confrontations with the government.

At a panel discussion on college sports last month, Trump said he anticipated that any order he signed would trigger litigation. Attorney Mit Winter, who follows college sports law, agreed, saying the order “appears to direct the NCAA to create rules that would likely violate” court orders.

NCAA President Charlie Baker, however, has not signaled any intention to take legal action, saying Trump’s order “strengthens many of our mandatory protections – including guaranteed health care coverage, mental health services and scholarship protections.”

“This action is a significant step forward, and we appreciate the administration’s interest and attention to these issues,” Baker said. “Stabilizing college sports for student-athletes still requires a permanent, bipartisan federal legislative solution. »

Trump, in the order, also called on Congress to “promptly pass legislation,” which was repeatedly blocked.

The president’s mandate is likely to create a situation in which the NCAA and schools will have to decide whether to follow a federal court order or an executive order, Winter said.

“The federal court orders prohibit the NCAA from making athletes withdraw from a season if they transfer more than once and prohibit the NCAA from enforcing rules that limit collective involvement in recruiting,” he said. “The EO appears to direct the NCAA to create rules that would likely violate both of these court orders. Will the NCAA create rules that do that? And if they do, will schools follow them?”

“Regardless, we are likely to see litigation challenging the EO from athletes and third parties.”

Winter added that the order also appears to incentivize schools to pay new revenue shares.

“Most schools pay 90 to 95 percent of their share funds to men’s basketball and football players,” he said. “And these funds are already promised through contracts signed with these athletes. Will the ordinance purport to require schools to not honor these contracts?”

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AP Sports Writer Maura Carey contributed.

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