“Saving College Football“… that's an order

President Donald Trump called an audible on Thursday when he issued his first major executive order related to college sports.

Entitled “Saving College Football“, the order calls for dramatic changes in college sports to bring order from the chaos currently hurting college athletics.

Specifically, President Trump’s executive order puts college sports high on the agenda for Capitol Hill. The order codifies a number of policy points set out by the new College Sports Commission. It bans pay-for-play payments by third parties, including from collectives. The executive order doesn’t, however, create any new laws.

The executive order repeats many of the precepts of the House v. NCAA settlement. Congress must now pass bills into law. There are bills proposed, most notably the SCORE Act, but have not passed. As a result, there are no new legal protections available. The legal questions about antitrust, employment or compensation caps are still unresolved. 

Congressional action is necessary for any substantive change to occur.

President Trump’s executive order is a clear signal that the administration is ready to lead congressional action.

GO CANES!