After conversations with retired coaches Nick Saban of Alabama and U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, formerly of Cincinnati, President Donald Trump has issued an executive order that could shake up college athletics.
The order stems from Saban and Tuberville’s complaints about what they view as disorganization in college football and a lack of regulation, particularly around athlete compensation. Both pushed for reform and suggested that the President intervene.
That suggestion appears to have landed.
President Trump’s Executive Order on College Athlete Pay Faces Pushback
Trump’s executive order targets name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation, proposing restrictions on how college athletes can make money through endorsements, sponsorships, and outside business ventures. The sweeping order would also impose limitations on athletes, schools, conferences, and even the NCAA.
Legal experts say the order will likely face serious challenges in court, as it conflicts with federal and state laws recognizing college athletes as employees with rights to market themselves. Several states have passed NIL laws protecting those rights — laws that the federal government would now be overriding.
There’s also the NCAA’s own NIL policy, which allows athletes to benefit from commercial opportunities without pay-for-play deals from schools. While the policy was intended to promote personal brand growth, its lines have blurred amid rising commercialization.
Critics argue the executive order infringes on the Equal Protection Clause by treating student-athletes differently from other students. It may also violate First Amendment rights by limiting their ability to profit from their image or voice.
Observers warn the order could do more harm than good, potentially impacting coaching salaries and university revenues while stripping athletes of freedoms they’ve only recently gained.
Some see the move as politically motivated, an effort by former coaches frustrated by the financial boom in college sports that happened after their exits. Rather than embracing the modern college sports landscape, the order clings to a dated system that many believe no longer works.
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