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Leaders of the most powerful conferences in college sports quickly lined up behind President Donald Trump’s latest executive order.
Commissioners from the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 posted statements on social media Friday night unanimously thanking Trump for his executive action.
Trump’s executive order directs federal agencies to potentially restrict funding to schools that violate new, stricter rules on player transfers (limited to one) and eligibility (maximum five years), while curbing pay-for-play support groups and protecting funding for Olympic and women’s sports.
The conferences adopted a consistent tone of appreciation for federal involvement, along with a renewed call for Congress to establish national standards governing college athletics, particularly with respect to 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 would like to thank President Trump for his leadership and continued efforts to protect college athletics and joins him in urging Congress to quickly pass legislation that addresses the critical issues that undermine its long-term stability.
“In accordance with President Trump’s executive order, the bipartisan SCORE Act carefully addresses the name, image and likeness of student-athletes, protecting academic and athletic opportunities provided through women’s and Olympic sports programs, and expanding 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.”
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey wrote: “Establishing and enforcing consistent national standards for college athletics remains a top priority, and President Trump’s executive order provides important clarity to help ensure that all programs operate under comparable policies.
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President Donald Trump’s FCC is seeking public comment on the current shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services. (Getty Images)
“We are grateful for the president’s leadership and the continued bipartisan commitment of members of the House and Senate on these key issues.
“We support the House’s passage of the SCORE Act and the Senate’s meaningful consideration of similar legislation to preserve academic opportunities for student-athletes and the long-term future of college sports.”
“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 implement meaningful reforms.”
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips wrote: “We deeply appreciate President Trump and the continued commitment of President Trump and his administration to protecting college athletics through the issuance of today’s executive order. Following the White House roundtable on college sports, 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 remain optimistic that the SCORE Act, which would provide stability to college sports, will pass the House of Representatives in the near future.”
The executive order “directs federal agencies to strengthen the effectiveness of key college sports rules regarding transfers, eligibility and pay-for-play by evaluating whether violations of those rules make a university ineligible for federal grants and contracts.”
It also says a “five-year participation window” will apply, along with “structured transfer rules” and a “prohibition on improper financial arrangements, including pay-for-play arrangements facilitated by collectives and similar entities.”
Trump’s executive order comes about a month after he hosted a roundtable discussion in which he addressed several hot-button issues with notable sports figures and officials.
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The SCORE Act was at the forefront of the roundtable. It was scheduled to be voted on in December, but he The vote was canceled shortly before it was due to take place.
The White House backed the bill, but three Republicans (Byron Donalds of Florida, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Chip Roy of Texas) voted with Democrats not to bring the bill to the floor. Democrats have largely opposed the bill and urged House members to vote against it.
The law would grant the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption in hopes of protecting the NCAA from potential lawsuits over eligibility rules and would prohibit athletes from becoming employees of their schools. Prohibits schools from using student fees to fund NIL payments.
the president July order prohibits that athletes receive payments for playing from third-party sources. However, the order did not impose any restrictions on NIL payments to college athletes by third parties. It also holds schools accountable for preserving resources for non-revenue-generating sports.
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President Donald Trump signs an executive order during the presentation of the Commander in Chief Trophy with the Navy Midshipmen football team in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, 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 settlement means the NCAA will pay nearly $2.8 billion in damages over the next 10 years to college athletes who competed between 2016 and 2025. The deal also allows college programs to pay athletes directly.
