Trump gives second wind to reforming college sports regulation

An effort to regulate the big business of college sports is receiving a second burst of energy on Capitol Hill thanks to President Trump’s insistence that more be done to curb what many regard as an intercollegiate athletics ecosystem run amok.  

The president’s desire to see major change in the way the NCAA and its top member schools operate was evident last week during a White House task force meeting comprised of top executives and coaches from around college and pro sports.  

The goal of the working group, the White House says, was to strategize a clearer path forward on controversial issues like eligibility; revenue sharing; and caps on name, image and likeness (NIL) deals for student-athletes, moves that taken together would “save” college sports.  

“Only Congress now, it looks like, can deliver a permanent fix,” Trump told a room full of attendees who included NCAA President Charlie Baker, longtime Alabama football coach Nick Saban and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “Federal legislation must allow college programs to set commonsense rules without endless litigation and establish a fair standard.”  

The last effort to regulate the big business of college sports, the SCORE Act, died in the House after several House conservatives expressed opposition to the bill.  

The legislation set out to establish a national standard on NIL deals for student-athletes, establish clear guidelines on transfer portal eligibility and protect the NCAA from litigation as it works to ensure a more competitive balance between larger and smaller schools.  

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who attended last week’s meeting, told the president he believes his leadership team now has the votes to bring the SCORE Act to the floor for passage and vowed to make it a priority during the coming legislative session.  

The offices of several of the conservatives who previously voiced opposition, including the offices of Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), did not respond to a request for comment on whether their position on the SCORE Act had changed.  

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), another attendee at last week’s meeting and a leading voice pushing for reform in college sports, said taking action is urgent. But he also noted the SCORE Act has zero Democrats who have expressed support.

“If we don’t act, we are very quickly going to be in a world of 30 to 50 college football teams that are basically a mini NFL. And the rest of the schools are going to be left behind,” Cruz said. “For some time, to use a football analogy, we have been on the 2-yard line and are unable to push. And there are interest groups, particularly trial lawyers and unions that are resulting in Democrat senators actively lobbying against the SCORE Act and don’t want to see legislation passed.”  

Critics of the bill paint it as a gift to the NCAA, with a key sticking point emerging in the form of a provision granting the organization limited antitrust protection. The NCAA argues this is necessary to protect it against litigation as athletes make more aggressive moves seeking enhanced playing time or endorsement money.  

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) scolded the White House for not having college athletes at the stakeholders meeting.

“That [White House] meeting was insulting in and of itself, because they did not have any athletes there,” Booker told The Hill. “It shows they’re not serious about the exploitation of college athletes, protecting their health, safety and ability to share in the enormous profits that’s being created because of their sweat and labor.”  

Booker stopped short of saying he would not support any antitrust protection for the NCAA, but he expressed dissatisfaction with proposals being floated on Capitol Hill.  

“There’s no industry or activity in America where this much wealth is created and the people that actually create the wealth are not seeing the kind of benefits or protections they deserve,” Booker said. “The way they’re going about this and what they’ve proposed right now to me is a nonstarter because they’re not focused on athletes.”  

The NCAA has significantly stepped up its lobbying and public relations efforts in Washington, D.C., in recent months as it works to get Congress to create a national standard on issues like NIL, revenue sharing and competitive balance.  

A major settlement ordered by a federal judge in 2025, which allowed for payment from universities to student-athletes through NIL and other deals, has created a “disastrous” arms race, particularly among top programs, the NCAA says.   

A key judicial ruling in West Virginia a year earlier further complicated recruiting and the transfer portal ecosystem by eliminating the one-year sit-out rule and making it easier for athletes to transfer between schools.  

The recent spate of litigation has led to a patchwork of standards and a chaotic college sports landscape that the NCAA argues will need government intervention to rein in.  

Trump, during the task force meeting, separately suggested he could sign an executive order clearing the way for such reforms, though the president acknowledged that could spark more legal challenges that could take months to play out.  

Kevin Paule, an attorney who specializes in sports business, told The Hill all sides appear to share a desire to impose uniformity and predictability on the system, but the NCAA “is hesitant to issue too many rules at the risk of running afoul with antitrust law.” 

“The standard definition of amateur athletes is basically done. That’s going to be a major hurdle. The irony is as of now, none of these athletes are considered employees despite the fact it looks and feels a lot like pro sports right now,” he said.  

The fate of the Iranian men’s national soccer team remains in doubt ahead of the 2026 World Cup after the country’s sports minister said “under no circumstances” could the team travel to the U.S. to play games “considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader.” President Trump said earlier this week the team is welcome to come to the U.S. for competition but cast doubt on whether it would be “appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”  

UFC unveiled its full fight card for a June 14 event set to take place in front of the White House and coincide with President Trump’s 80th birthday. Something to watch: Will the event be attended by UFC promoter and media personality Joe Rogan, who has been sharply critical of the president in recent weeks over both the war in Iran and his immigration agenda?  

The Atlanta Hawks canceled a planned promotion with local gentleman’s club Magic City after a number of NBA players voiced displeasure with the event, including San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet, who in a blog post that received a lot of attention called it “complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.”  

Jocks on the Hill: Calli Cooper 

Calli Cooper, a communications staffer for the Republican Study Committee and an accomplished college softball player at West Virginia State University, answered some sports questions for The Hill.  

“My family is all from Michigan, so I grew up a huge Detroit Tigers fan. I’ve been watching them since I was literally a baby. My husband is a Houston Astros fan through and through, so he probably won’t love that answer, but I’d have to pick the Tigers.”  

Favorite Sport to Play

“Softball, but soccer was a close second. I was pretty good at both but had to make a decision in high school. I’ve made most of my still best friends through softball, it’s opened a lot of opportunities for me and I’ve also just made lifelong friends.”  

Who is an athlete you looked up to growing up?

“I would say Justin Verlander is definitely in my top three. I would also say Jennie Finch and Monica Abbott, two professional softball pitchers. I was a pitcher my whole life so I was always looking for inspiration and drew from them. I grew up extremely competitive and all three of them are definitely competitive, especially Verlander.”  

Is there a team you hate?

“I grew up hating Ohio State as a result of my parents both being from Michigan, so I would routinely root against Ohio State football, especially.”  

Sports and politics are both full of cliches — is there one that sticks out to you? 

“’Control the controllables’. I feel like I heard that a lot in college. Focus on the next strike or what you can control on the field. A lot of what goes on up here on the Hill, especially in a communications job, I can’t control what other people are saying or members or reporters are talking about, so that’s probably what resonates with me the most.”  

The NFL’s business margins are obviously growing, and Sports Business Journal lays out here what that means for the Green Bay Packers, the league’s only nonprofit team, as existential questions about ballooning player contracts and lucrative media rights grow more intense.  

You probably heard about the Maxx Crosby-to-the-Ravens trade that fell apart last week, but The Athletic has a solid look at a chaotic 24 hours for the defensive star, the two teams that both thought they landed him, and the impact of the fallen-through deal on the league as a whole.  

Sports Illustrated has an amusing piece here focusing not just on Bam Adebayo’s breakout 83-point game last week, but also the “ice cold” quotes both he and coach Erik Spoelstra gave after his historic performance. 

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