CFB insider questions impact of Donald Trump’s executive order on college sports
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On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “President Donald J. Trump Saves College Sports.”
The order is aimed at restricting “pay-for-play” arrangements for student-athletes as well as requiring “the preservation and, where possible, expansion of opportunities” in women’s and non-revenue sports. But Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger questions how effective that order will actually be at accomplishing its main goal.
“(NCAA president Charlie Baker) basically said that while he appreciates the President’s interest in college athletics … his focus and the NCAA’s focus remains on congressional legislation, and that’s just a really key point I can’t hammer home enough,” Dellenger said during an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show on Thursday. “And (SEC Commissioner) Greg Sankey said similar things. Congressional legislation provides so much more of a permanent solution to college athletics.
“An executive order comes with so many questions. … I wish I could come on here and say this is some groundbreaking thing and everything’s going to change in college sports because of this. I don’t think that’s the case.”
Shortly after the White House announced President Trump’s latest executive order, Baker released a statement to media sources saying that while the NCAA “appreciates” the President’s efforts, it remains focused on advocating for “a bipartisan solution with Congress and the Administration.”
Some pundits were quick to point out that pay-for-play agreements in college athletics have been banned for years. The executive order does not apply to “legitimate, fair-market-value compensation” from third parties, leading several legal analysts to speculate that it will affect only marginal, if any, change.
Michael McCann, Sportico’s legal expert, wrote that the President’s executive order is likely to be challenged in court. The Field of 68’s legal expert, Mitch Gilfillan, noted that the E.O. does not amend, modify, or create new law regarding NIL collectives or third-party vendors.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
