President Trump’s renewed push to rein in the business of college sports has shaken things up on Capitol Hill. He’s rallying lawmakers behind the reintroduced SCORE Act, a bill aiming to set national rules for student-athlete pay and eligibility—and maybe give the NCAA some legal cover too.
The plan’s ambitious, but it’s running into plenty of resistance. Stakeholders can’t seem to agree on what the future of college sports should even look like.
The Push for Reform in College Sports
Trump’s frustration with the current system was obvious at a recent White House task force meeting. Executives and coaches from both college and pro sports gathered to hash out the mess of eligibility, revenue sharing, and those ever-controversial NIL deals.
- Eligibility: They want clearer rules for the transfer portal to keep things fair.
- Revenue Sharing: There’s talk of splitting the money more evenly among programs.
- NIL Deals: Some want caps on NIL so the richest schools don’t just buy up all the talent.
Trump argued that only federal law can let colleges make sensible rules without getting sued left and right. He’s hoping for a standard everyone can live with, but that’s easier said than done.
The SCORE Act: A Legislative Solution
The SCORE Act didn’t make it last time, blocked by a handful of House conservatives. Now, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) says he’s got the votes to get it through. The bill would:
- National Standard: Set one set of NIL rules nationwide.
- Transfer Portal Guidelines: Spell out who’s eligible and when.
- Litigation Protection: Give the NCAA some protection from lawsuits as it tries to keep the playing field level.
It’s unclear if the conservatives who tanked the bill before, like Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), have changed their minds. Their offices haven’t said a word.
Challenges and Opposition
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is pushing hard for reform, saying the clock’s ticking. Still, he admits the SCORE Act doesn’t have a single Democratic backer right now.
Cruz warns that if nothing changes, a handful of teams could end up dominating college football. He’s frustrated with trial lawyers and unions fighting the bill, calling the process a mess.
Opponents say the SCORE Act just hands the NCAA a big favor, especially with its limited antitrust shield. The NCAA insists it needs that protection to fend off lawsuits from players who want more money or playing time.
Democratic Opposition and Athlete Representation
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) wasn’t thrilled the White House left college athletes out of the stakeholder meeting. He called that a slap in the face and said the current proposals don’t do enough for the health, safety, or wallets of the athletes themselves.
Booker says there’s a huge gap between the money college sports brings in and what the athletes actually get. He’s not buying the current approach.
Booker’s Stance
Booker isn’t totally against giving the NCAA some legal protection, but he thinks the bills on the table miss the point. In his view, athletes—the people making all that money for schools—should get way more of the benefits and protections.
The NCAA’s Lobbying Efforts
The NCAA’s been ramping up its lobbying in D.C., desperate for a national fix on NIL, revenue sharing, and keeping competition fair. They claim recent court decisions have turned college sports into chaos and say only Congress can fix it now.
Judicial Rulings and Their Impact
A huge settlement in 2025 allowed schools to pay athletes for NIL and other deals. The NCAA calls it a “disastrous” arms race that only helps the richest programs.
Another court ruling in West Virginia scrapped the one-year sit-out rule, making it even easier for athletes to transfer. Now the transfer portal is wilder than ever.
Trump’s Executive Order Suggestion
Trump even floated the idea of an executive order to speed things up. He admitted it’d probably end up in court, which could drag out any changes for months—maybe longer.
Expert Opinion
Sports attorney Kevin Paule says everyone wants clear, predictable rules, but the NCAA’s spooked by antitrust lawsuits. He points out the weird irony: college sports are basically a business, but the athletes still aren’t considered employees. Does that make sense to anyone?
Conclusion
The push for reform in college sports, led by President Trump and highlighted by the SCORE Act, is making waves. It’s a big move aimed at tackling some thorny, long-standing problems in the industry.
There’s no denying the path ahead is complicated and full of resistance. Still, the demand for fair treatment and a national standard for student-athletes isn’t going away anytime soon.
If you’re curious about the latest twists in college sports reform, check out the full article on The Hill.
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