United States President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order that will directly affect college sports.
Sports have been a significant priority for the President in a way that perhaps hasn’t been the case for any previous American leader. Since returning to office, he has made a few notable changes while also attending major sporting events such as the Super Bowl and FIFA Club World Cup this year.
According to Front Office Sports, the POTUS is actively working on a new order to establish national standards for the NIL program amid concerns over the lack of structure and regulation regarding athletes’ compensation.
The order should align with the objectives for the newly minted SCORE Act (Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements), which seeks to regulate NIL deals and ensure fair compensation for student-athletes.
Trump’s order could override state-level NIL laws if signed.
Donald Trump’s NIL Plans Met With Opposition
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As expected, the reactions to this have been mixed. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is said to have been blindsided by the announcement and has since expressed concerns over the potential impact.
Others argue that the order might not work as intended because the NCAA operates independently of the executive branch. At the same time, another section of critics claims it will allow the NCAA to exploit athletes much like they did before they were allowed to cash in on their talents while in school.
“The AFL-CIO Sports Council strongly opposes the SCORE Act. The bill is a bad deal for athletes, writing a blank check to the NCAA while limiting athletes’ earnings and diminishing their bargaining power,” the AFL-CIO, one of the biggest unions in the United States, wrote.
Trump’s plans for NIL reform seem to have been triggered by meetings with former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell.
While the President has put plans for an official College Sports Commission on hold, he is still keen on ringing changes in college sports during his second term.
