President Donald Trump sharply criticized what is currently happening in college football in recent comments. He stated that players are being traded like playing cards and described the situation as chaotic.
“It’s a mess what they’re doing with college football.Players are being taken from team after team and being traded around like playing cards,” Trump declared.
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Trump’s comments were made during discussions about collegiate sports reform. He reiterated his administration’s promise to help fix these issues, indicating that his office will actively help manage these issues.
President Trump further elaborated on the current scenario, keeping the sentiment of the fans in mind:
“The fans are super upset about it”, he added.
He made these comments while a regulatory action was in process. On July 24, 2025, Trump signed an executive order entitled “Saving College Sports,” which is a clear executive action of his administration in regard to governance of collegiate sports.
The president’s critique concerns not just financial issues, but also player mobility. The volume of activity through the transfer portal has increased dramatically over the years. Now, it’s easier for athletes to change schools than in past generations.
Donald Trump’s Executive Order Targets Pay-for-Play Arrangements in College Sports
The executive order prohibits both third-party, pay-for-play compensation of collegiate athletes. However, the order included critical exemptions for legitimate compensation arrangements. Under the new parameters, fair-market-value compensation for brand endorsement is still legal.
The executive order establishes executive branch policy, which states that “third-party, pay-for-play compensation for collegiate athletes is improper and should not be allowed by universities”. The purpose of this policy distinction is to separate legitimate endorsement contracts from pay-for-play compensation structures based on recruiting.
The order also speaks to revenue-sharing between universities and athletes. Schools will still be able to participate in approved revenue-sharing programs. Revenue-sharing arrangements cannot contradict existing collegiate athletic policies and standards.
The executive order also directs the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to “clarify” the status of collegiate athletes. Legal scholars believe that this is an unusual opportunity for an administration to influence an action by an independent agency. This represents a typical use of an executive order in expressing an administration’s strong desire for specific and directive guidance in regards to the employment status of athletes.
Current financial figures in college athletics illustrate the magnitude of monetary involvement in college athletics. The players of the 2024 national champion team were each compensated approximately $20 million annually, while the projected pay for 2025 is expected to be $35-40 million for the football programs at the top schools.
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