In a move that could really shake up college sports, US President Donald Trump says he’ll sign an executive order to tackle the mess around paying student-athletes. This comes right after a $2.8 billion legal settlement that set up a new revenue-sharing system for college sports.
Trump’s order is supposed to ease the financial hit on colleges and keep college sports afloat. He made the announcement at his first ‘Saving College Sports’ roundtable at the White House, where industry bigwigs showed up—but current student-athletes were left out, which is… interesting.
The Executive Order and Its Implications
Trump describes the executive order as “all-encompassing,” and it’s apparently rolling out within a week. The idea is to address the money problems caused by these new revenue-sharing models, which Trump claims could threaten both college sports and the schools themselves.
He’s pressing lawmakers to get behind it, saying the situation’s urgent. Whether Congress will jump on board, though, remains to be seen.
Revenue-Sharing System and Legal Settlement
This new revenue-sharing setup comes from a $2.8 billion legal settlement involving three antitrust lawsuits. The NCAA and college conferences signed off on it, and a district judge gave the final green light.
It’s supposed to make compensation for student-athletes fairer through name, image, and likeness (NIL) payments. Still, there’s a lot of worry about how colleges will pay for it—and what it’ll mean for the future of college sports.
Concerns Raised by Key Stakeholders
At the roundtable, plenty of stakeholders voiced concerns about the impact of this new system. NCAA president Charlie Baker, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, and Sarah Hirshland from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) were among those raising red flags.
Impact on Olympic and Women’s Sports
One big concern? Olympic and women’s sports might take the brunt of the cuts. Hirshland pointed out that the US Olympic team’s success depends heavily on the college system.
If colleges end up funneling most of their $20.5 million budgets into football and basketball, a lot of other sports could get axed. That’s a real threat to the development of athletes in less popular disciplines.
Proposed Legislative Solutions
To try to fix all this, House speaker Mike Johnson pitched a bill called the Score Act. The NCAA and USOPC are behind it, and it would regulate how student-athletes get paid.
But critics say it could stop athletes from becoming employees of their schools, which might limit their earning power and rights. That’s not an easy sell for everyone.
Bipartisan Legislation on Media Rights
There’s also a bipartisan push to tweak the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. This bill would let conferences bundle their media rights, maybe bringing in another $6 to $7 billion.
But the SEC and Big Ten aren’t thrilled. They argue that pooling media rights could create a mess and bring new risks to college sports.
Trump’s Call for Urgent Action
Trump keeps stressing that action needs to happen now to save college sports. He’s calling on Congress to back his executive order and move quickly to tackle these financial problems.
He warns that if nothing gets done, college sports could be destroyed—and schools could lose a lot of money. It’s a pretty stark warning, but maybe that’s what it’ll take to get people moving.
If you want to dig deeper, check out the full article on SportsPro [here](https://www.sportspro.com/news/decision-makers/donald-trump-college-sports-executive-order-march-2026/).
Conclusion
The announcement of President Trump’s executive order feels like a turning point for college sports. There’s a lot up in the air as everyone tries to figure out what this new revenue-sharing system actually means.
People are already debating the proposed legislative fixes. Will any of them really work? Nobody seems totally sure, and honestly, it’s tough to predict how things will shake out.
Everyone involved—schools, athletes, lawmakers—will have to hash out some sort of compromise. The goal? Fair pay for student-athletes, but without wrecking college budgets or the spirit of the game.
We’ll keep following this story as it unfolds. College sports could look pretty different in the months ahead.
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