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The leaders of college sports’ most powerful conferences quickly rallied behind President Donald Trump’s latest executive order.
Commissioners from the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 all released statements on social media Friday night, unanimously thanking Trump for his executive action.
Trump’s EO directs federal agencies to potentially limit funding to schools that violate new, tighter rules on player transfers (limited to one) and eligibility (maximum five years), while limiting pay-for-play booster collectives and protecting women’s and Olympic sports funds.
The conferences struck a consistent tone of appreciation for federal involvement, along with a renewed call for Congress to establish national standards for college athletics, particularly regarding athlete compensation, employment status, and name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules.
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Big 10 Commissioner Tony Petitti wrote: “The Big Ten Conference would like to thank President Trump for his leadership and continued efforts to protect college athletics and joins him in urging Congress to quickly pass legislation that addresses the critical issues that undermine its long-term stability.”
“In accordance with President Trump’s executive order, the bipartite SCORE Act carefully addresses the name, image and equity of student-athletes, protects academic and athletic opportunities provided through women’s and Olympic sports programs, and expands resources to support student-athletes on and off the field.
“We will continue to work with a broad coalition of college sports stakeholders and members of Congress to pass this legislation.”
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey wrote, “The establishment and enforcement of consistent national standards for college athletics remains a top priority, and President Trump’s executive order provides important clarity to ensure that all programs operate under comparable policies.”
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President Donald Trump’s FCC is seeking public comment on the ongoing shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services. (Getty Images)
“We are grateful for the President’s leadership and the continued, bipartisan engagement of members of the House and Senate on these key issues.
“We support House passage of the SCORE Act and meaningful consideration in the Senate of similar legislation to preserve academic opportunities for student-athletes and the long-term future of college sports.”
“The bipartisan SCORE Act offers a comprehensive framework for many of the issues facing our industry, and I look forward to continuing to work with President Trump and Congress to pass meaningful reforms.”
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips wrote, “We deeply appreciate President Trump and his administration’s continued commitment to protecting college athletics by issuing today’s executive order. Following the White House College Sports Roundtable, significant momentum continues to preserve athletic and academic opportunities for the next generation of student-athletes, and we appreciate the efforts.”
“We remain optimistic that the SCORE Act, which would provide stability to college sports, will pass the House of Representatives in the near future.”
The executive order “directs federal agencies to strengthen the effectiveness of key college sports rules on transfer, eligibility and pay-for-play by evaluating whether violations of such rules make a university ineligible for federal scholarships and contracts.”
It also says a “five-year participation window” will be enforced, along with “structured transfer rules” and a “prohibition (of) inappropriate financial arrangements, including pay-for-play agreements, facilitated by collectives and similar entities.”
Trump’s announcement comes about a month after he hosted a roundtable that addressed several hot-button issues with notable sports figures and government officials.
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The SCORE Act was at the forefront of the round table discussion. It was scheduled for a vote in December, but the the vote was canceled shortly before it was due to take place.
The White House approved the act, but three Republicans — Byron Donalds of Florida, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Chip Roy of Texas — voted with Democrats not to bring the act to the floor. Democrats have largely opposed the bill and urged members of the House to vote against it.
The law would grant the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption in hopes of protecting the NCAA from potential lawsuits over eligibility rules and would prohibit athletes from becoming employees of their schools. It prohibits schools from using tuition fees to fund NIL payments.
The President’s order from July prohibits athletes from receiving pay-to-play payments from third-party sources. However, the order imposed no restrictions on NIL payments to college athletes from third-party sources. It also requires the schools to maintain resources for the non-revenue-generating sports.
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President Donald Trump signs an executive order during the presentation of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy with the Navy Midshipmen football team in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, March 20, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
A month before Trump’s order, a judge approved a settlement between the NCAA, its most powerful conferences and lawyers representing all Division I athletes. The settlement means the NCAA will pay close to $2.8 billion in back injury damages over the next 10 years to college athletes who competed from 2016 to 2025. The settlement also allows college programs to pay athletes directly.
