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President Donald Trump warned that the United States “won’t have an Olympic team anymore,” if not for regulation by the NCAA to address dwindling resources for certain non-revenue-generating college sports in the United States
Trump issued the warning at a White House ceremony honoring several recent NCAA champions in non-revenue sports.
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President Donald Trump speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 21, 2026, during an event honoring NCAA collegiate national champions. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg)
“75% of the Olympians who competed for Team USA played as college athletes. If we don’t fix this, we’re not going to have much of an Olympic team because you have so many of these sports, especially certain sports where it’s like the minor leagues, you can call it the major leagues, you can call it whatever you want, but we’re training the incredible thing about Trump and we’re training the incredible medal.
“Without college sports, without your ability to go into college sports and compete and really learn to play and get better, we’re not going to have much of an Olympic team anymore.”
Trump made the comments while paying tribute to the NCAA champion Youngstown State bowling, Oklahoma State men’s golf, Texas A&M women’s volleyball, Wake Forest men’s tennis, Georgia women’s tennis, West Virginia mixed rifle and Florida State women’s soccer teams.
Trump even rarely admitted a skill he isn’t very good at during the White House ceremony.
While Trump honored the Youngstown State bowling champions, he admitted that he is not a great bowler.
“It’s not easy bowling, I’ve tried it, it doesn’t work that well for me. It’s actually very difficult. It’s very difficult,” Trump said.
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The ceremony put a spotlight on the non-revenue-generating college sports that Trump is seeking to preserve, as his latest executive order, titled: “Urgent National Action to Save College Sports.”
Trump has taken executive action to mandate that revenue-sharing models implemented by universities must preserve or expand scholarships and opportunities for women’s and Olympic sportswhich goes back to last year with a similar order.
The ceremony came the same afternoon that Trump extended the ongoing ceasefire with Iran.
“Based on the fact that the government of Iran is seriously broken, not unexpectedly, and at the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our attacks on the country of Iran until their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump said in a post shared on Truth Social.
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“I have therefore directed our military to continue the blockade and in all other respects remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the ceasefire until their proposals are submitted and discussions concluded, one way or the other.”
