Trump Saves College Sports; My Gratitude

With typical bombast and self-congratulation, President Trump issued an executive order on college sports last Thursday.

The White House release came with this headline: "President Donald J. Trump Saves College Sports."

That's not happening anytime soon, but unlike most of Trump's pronouncements, this one actually included some accurate data and a fairly comprehensive outline of the current situation in college athletics.

The order correctly asserts that recent court rulings, settlements, and conflicting state laws have created a "chaotic environment" that threatens the financial stability and competitive balance of collegiate athletics, and that top programs now spend tens of millions of dollars to attract and retain athletes through NIL deals.

It warns that an "oligarchy" of wealthier programs can simply outbid rivals for best players and that runaway NIL spending for football and basketball will take resources away from Olympic sports.

All true. 

Hyperbole aside, what does the order actually do?

1. Without taking a position, it directs the Secretary of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board to clarify whether college athletes are employees of their schools and to issue rules that will "maximize the educational benefits and opportunities provided by higher education through athletics."

   
   

2. It prohibits "third-party, pay for play" payments used as recruiting inducements, while allowing "legitimate fair market-value compensation" for brand endorsement.

   
   

3. It seeks to protect women's and Olympic sports by directing athletic departments to preserve, and in some cases expand, scholarships and roster spots in non-revenue programs. Starting with the 2025-26 academic year, schools with athletic revenue of more than $125M are urged to increase their investment in non-revenue sports.

The executive order comes months after Trump had teased the establishment of a college sports commission to tackle the important issues facing the multi-billion dollar industry, and days after a bill addressing some of those issues, the SCORE Act, had passed through two Congressional committees.

With the SCORE Act destined to fail in the Senate, the question becomes, can Trump's executive order go beyond mere recommendations and create requirements that can be enforced?

Doubtful, so say the least. 

In all likelihood, Trump's people will find, as the NCAA has found, and as the newly formed College Sports Commission is finding out, that stopping cheating, defining "fair market value" and forcing schools to spend money on water polo instead of football is difficult, if not impossible. 

There is another way Trump can do something significant for college sports. 

To date, most of his edicts have stripped funding from universities. If the president really wants to save college athletics--especially Olympic sports--he should push for the federal government to fund them.. 

If international dominance in sports like swimming, track and field and gymnastics is a priority for our country, then why can't it provide taxpayer dollars to support those sports?

This isn't a new concept. Public dollars have funded stadiums and arenas in most  major cities in the U.S.

And in nearly every other country around the world, federal dollars are funding Olympic sports programs. In the US, this falls under the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which is funded by corporate sponsorships and private donations, and college athletic programs, which are primarily funded by football. 

Think of what it would mean to colleges across the country if the federal government provided money to fund scholarships, coaching salaries, facilities, and team travel for non-revenue sports?

Or if top American recruits in the key Olympic sports could receive college scholarships and NIL funding from the federal government?

If President Trump really wants to preserve America's Olympic supremacy and prevent non-revenue programs from being cut, those moves would be much more meaningful than a flowery executive order with no teeth.

(Note: USA Today's Dan Wolken contributed to this post).

An Attitude of Gratitude: My old friend Gary Stokan, director of the Peach Bowl, likes to sign his emails and notes "with an attitude of gratitude."

That's what I'm feeling this week after my recovery from a medical emergency in Hawaii and the incredible outpouring of support from family, friends and readers.

Sincere thanks to the incredible staff at Maui Memorial Hospital, my cardiologists--Dr. Yu Xie, Dr. Jared Herr and Dr. Ingrid Hogberg--my internist, Dr. Brian Bakke, and Fremont Urgent Care Center physician Dr. Lauren Auerbach, who have me back on the road to recovery.

My heart failure and atrial fibrillation are under control, and my breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and edema are all much improved. Only issues now are a persistent cough and lack of energy, but hopefully those will come around.

I had enough juice to come off IR and write this column.

Thanks again to all of you for your concern, love and support. It means a lot.