By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose and Policy
College sports stand as a quintessentially American institution, offering transformative educational and leadership opportunities to over 500,000 student-athletes through nearly $4 billion in scholarships each year. These athletic programs not only bolster local economies but also weave themselves into the fabric of family traditions, leisure activities, and cultural identity in numerous communities.
Despite the grandeur of major college football games that captivate tens of millions, they only represent a fraction of the plethora of athletes benefiting from these life-altering college sports experiences. Remarkably, 65% of the members of the 2024 United States Olympic Team were either current or former NCAA varsity athletes, with approximately 75% having participated in collegiate athletics. This elite squad secured an impressive 126 medals, maintaining America’s dominance for the eighth consecutive Summer Olympics.
Beyond contributing to our international athletic prowess, college athletes often report superior outcomes during and after their collegiate experiences. A significant number of female executives at leading American companies were involved in sports during their youth, often at the high school or collegiate level. The correlation between participation in college sports and leadership roles is evident, with numerous business leaders and former Presidents also having backgrounds in collegiate athletics. It is not hyperbole to assert that the U.S. collegiate sports system plays a crucial role in shaping the leaders who drive our nation’s prosperity.
However, this cherished tradition faces an unprecedented threat. Recent legal challenges to the governance of college athletics have dismantled restrictions on athlete compensation, introducing pay-for-play schemes and allowing for unrestricted transfers between universities. While some changes enhancing student-athlete benefits were overdue, the absence of sensible regulations now poses an existential risk to many college sports.
For instance, a pivotal 2021 Supreme Court ruling against NCAA restrictions led to new rules permitting players to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). Yet, the litigation stripped away essential guardrails meant to ensure these payments were legitimate endorsements rather than mere pay-for-play offers. Similar limitations on player transfers have also been obliterated through legal action.
This has culminated in a chaotic system, where university donors engage in bidding wars for top talent, allowing players the freedom to switch teams at will. Over 30 states have enacted their own NIL laws in a frenzied competition to gain a temporary edge for their major collegiate teams. Consequently, players at some universities are set to earn upwards of $50 million annually, particularly in revenue-generating sports like football. As the 2024 season approaches, players on the future national champion team are projected to earn around $20 million per year, with estimates for 2025 reaching as high as $35-40 million, including revenue-sharing.
This trend not only undermines competition and parity, creating a select group of teams that can simply purchase the best players from less wealthy programs at the end of each season, but it also diverts essential resources away from supporting non-revenue sports. Without regulatory frameworks to rein in this escalation and ensure a balanced allocation of resources across collegiate athletic programs, many college sports could soon become relics of the past.
A national solution is urgently required to prevent this downward spiral and to safeguard non-revenue sports — including many women’s sports — that form the backbone of intercollegiate athletics, fuel American success in international competitions, and inspire hundreds of thousands of student-athletes.
In an attempt to establish some semblance of order, colleges have initiated a new strategy, opting to pay athletes directly while simultaneously limiting the total number of athletes on campus. These roster limits, which replace existing scholarship constraints, offer an opportunity to bolster non-revenue sports. It is imperative that we eliminate the third-party market of pay-for-play arrangements before it further drains support for these vital sports. If we fail to act, we risk losing a treasured American asset.
The policy of my Administration is clear: all college sports should be preserved and expanded wherever feasible. We are committed to providing the stability, fairness, and balance necessary to protect student-athletes, collegiate athletic scholarships, and the unique American institution that is college sports. It is common sense that college sports are not, and should not be, professional sports, and my Administration will take definitive action in this regard.
Sec. 2. Protecting and Expanding Women’s and Non-Revenue Sports and Prohibiting Third-Party Pay-for-Play Payments
(a) It is the policy of the executive branch that opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports must be preserved and, where possible, expanded, specifically as follows for the 2025-2026 athletic season and beyond:
(i) Collegiate athletic departments with revenues exceeding $125,000,000 during the 2024-2025 season should increase scholarship opportunities in non-revenue sports compared to the previous season and offer the maximum number of roster spots allowed under applicable collegiate athletic rules;
(ii) Departments with revenues over $50,000,000 during the 2024-2025 season should maintain at least the same number of scholarship opportunities in non-revenue sports and provide the maximum number of roster spots permissible under the rules;
(iii) Departments with $50,000,000 or less in revenue during the 2024-2025 season, or those without any revenue-generating sports, should not disproportionately reduce scholarship opportunities or roster spots based on revenue generation.
(b) It is the policy of the executive branch that any revenue-sharing arrangements between universities and collegiate athletes must be structured to preserve or enhance scholarships and athletic opportunities in women’s and non-revenue sports.
(c) To uphold the critical educational and developmental benefits of collegiate athletics, it is the policy of the executive branch that third-party pay-for-play payments to collegiate athletes are improper and should be prohibited by universities. This does not apply to compensation for the fair market value of services provided by the athlete to a third party, such as brand endorsements.
(d) Within 30 days of this order, the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, shall develop a plan to implement the policies outlined in subsections (a)-(c) through all appropriate regulatory, enforcement, and litigation mechanisms. This includes Federal funding decisions, enforcing Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, prohibiting unconstitutional state actions affecting interstate commerce, and collaborating with Congress and state governments as necessary.
Sec. 3. Student-Athlete Status
The Secretary of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board shall determine and implement measures to clarify the status of collegiate athletes, utilizing guidance, rules, or other appropriate actions to maximize the educational benefits and opportunities provided by higher education institutions through athletics.
Sec. 4. Legal Protections for College Athletics from Lawsuits
(a) The Attorney General and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission shall work to stabilize and preserve college athletics through litigation, guidelines, policies, or other actions as necessary, protecting the rights and interests of student-athletes and ensuring the long-term availability of collegiate athletic scholarships and opportunities against unreasonable challenges under antitrust or other legal theories.
(b) Within 60 days of this order, to further the aims of subsection (a), the Attorney General and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission shall:
(i) review and amend litigation positions, guidelines, policies, or other actions as necessary; and
(ii) develop a strategy to implement appropriate future litigation positions, guidelines, policies, or other actions.
Sec. 5. Protecting Development of the United States Olympic Team
The Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and the Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison shall consult with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and other appropriate organizations to ensure the preservation of the critical role and competitive advantage that American collegiate athletics provide in developing athletes for international competitions.
Sec. 6. General Provisions
(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget regarding budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented in accordance with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Education.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
July 24, 2025.
