Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12 back Trump’s college sports executive order
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Leaders of college sports’ most powerful conferences quickly lined up behind President Donald Trump’s latest executive order.
Commissioners from the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 all unanimously issued statements on social media Friday evening thanking Trump for the executive action.
Trump’s EO instructs federal agencies to potentially restrict funding to schools that violate new, stricter rules on player transfers (limited to one) and eligibility (up to five years), as well as curb pay-for-play support collectives and protect funding for women’s and Olympic sports.
The conferences combined a consistent recognition of federal involvement as well as a renewed call for Congress to establish national standards governing college athletics, particularly regarding athlete compensation, employment status, and name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules.
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Big 10 Commissioner Tony Petitti wrote: “The Big Ten Conference thanks President Trump for his leadership and ongoing efforts to protect college athletics and joins him in calling on Congress to quickly pass legislation that addresses critical issues that undermine long-term stability.
“Consistent with President Trump’s executive order, the bipartisan SCORE Act thoughtfully addresses the name, image, and likeness of student-athletes, preserves the academic and athletic opportunities provided through women’s and Olympic sports programs, and expands resources to support student-athletes on and off the field.
“We will continue to work with a broad coalition of college sports stakeholders and members of Congress to enact this legislation.”
“Establishing and enforcing consistent national standards for college athletics remains a top priority, and President Trump’s executive order provides important clarity that will help ensure all programs operate under comparable policies,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey wrote.
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President Donald Trump’s FCC is seeking public comments on the ongoing transition of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services. (Getty Images)
“We are grateful for the President’s leadership and the continued, bipartisan engagement of members of the House and Senate on these important issues.
“We support passage of the Score Act by the House of Representatives and meaningful consideration by the Senate of similar legislation to protect academic opportunities for student-athletes and the long-term future of college sports.”
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark wrote: “Federal action is essential to protect the future of college athletics, and on behalf of the Big 12, we appreciate President Trump’s commitment to developing a solution. To build on this momentum and provide long-term clarity and stability, Congress must act now.
“The bipartisan SCORE Act provides a comprehensive framework for many of the issues facing our industry, and I look forward to continuing to work with President Trump and Congress to enact meaningful reforms.”
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips wrote: “We deeply appreciate President Trump and his administration’s ongoing commitment to protecting college athletics by issuing today’s executive order. Following the White House college sports roundtable, there continues to be significant momentum to preserve athletic and academic opportunities for the next generation of student-athletes, and we appreciate the efforts.”
“We are optimistic that the SCORE Act, which will provide stability to college sports, will pass the House of Representatives in the near future.”
The executive order “directs Federal agencies to improve the effectiveness of core college athletic rules on transfer, eligibility, and pay-for-play by evaluating whether violations of such rules make a university ineligible for Federal grants and contracts.”
It also states that a “five-year participation window” will be implemented, along with “structured transfer rules” and a “prohibition of improper financial arrangements, including pay-for-play agreements facilitated by collectives and similar organisations”.
Trump’s executive order comes nearly a month after he hosted a roundtable discussion with prominent sports figures and officials addressing crucial issues.
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The SCORE Act was at the forefront of the roundtable. It was planned to be voted in December However the The vote was canceled shortly before it was due to take place.
The White House approved the legislation, but three Republicans — Byron Donalds of Florida, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Chip Roy of Texas — voted with Democrats to keep it from coming to the floor. Democrats largely opposed the bill and urged House members to vote against it.
The law would give the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption and ban athletes from being employees of their schools, in hopes of protecting the NCAA from potential lawsuits over its eligibility rules. It prohibits schools from using student fees to fund NIL payments.
President’s July’s order prohibits Preventing athletes from receiving pay-to-play payments from third-party sources. However, the order did not impose any restrictions on NIL payments to college athletes from third-party sources. It also calls for schools’ responsibility to preserve resources for non-revenue sports.
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President Donald Trump signs an executive order during the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy presentation with the Navy Midshipmen football team in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 20, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
A month before Trump’s order, a judge approved a settlement between the NCAA, its most powerful conferences and lawyers representing all Division I athletes. The agreement means the NCAA will pay close to $2.8 billion in back injuries over the next 10 years to college athletes who competed from 2016 to 2025. The agreement also allows college programs to pay athletes directly.
Fox News Digital’s Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
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