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Leaders of college sports’ most powerful conferences quickly aligned themselves with President Donald Trump’s latest executive order.
Commissioners from the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 all released statements on social media Friday evening unanimously thanking Trump for his executive action.
Trump’s EO directs federal agencies to potentially restrict funding for schools that violate new, tougher rules on player transfers (limited to one) and eligibility (five years maximum), while limiting paying cheer collectives and protecting funding for women’s and Olympic sports.
The conferences expressed a consistent tone of appreciation for federal involvement, coupled with 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 wishes to thank President Trump for his leadership and continued efforts to protect college athletics and joins him in urging Congress to quickly pass legislation addressing the critical issues that jeopardize its long-term stability.
“Consistent with President Trump’s executive order, the bipartisan SCORE Act thoughtfully addresses the name, image and likeness of student-athletes, protecting the academic and athletic opportunities provided by 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 pass 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 ensure 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 engagement of members of the House and Senate on these key issues.
“We support the House’s approval 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 thank President Trump and his administration for their continued commitment to protecting college athletics by issuing today’s Executive Order. Following the White House College Sports Roundtable, there is still 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 transfer, eligibility and payment for play by evaluating whether violations of these rules render a university ineligible for federal grants and contracts.”
It also says a “five-year participation window” will apply, as well as “structured transfer rules” and a “prohibition on inappropriate financial arrangements, including pay-to-play arrangements facilitated by collectives and similar entities.”
Trump’s executive order comes about a month after he hosted a roundtable discussion addressing several hot-button issues with notable sports figures and officials.
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The SCORE Act was at the forefront of the roundtable. His vote was scheduled for December, but THE the vote was canceled shortly before it took place.
The White House approved the law, but three Republicans — Byron Donalds of Florida, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Chip Roy of Texas — voted with Democrats not to introduce the law. Democrats largely opposed the bill, urging House members to vote against it.
The law would give 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. It prohibits schools from using tuition fees to fund zero payments.
That of the president a July decree banned athletes to receive paid payments from third-party sources. However, the order placed no restrictions on zero payments to college athletes from third-party sources. It also requires schools to ensure they preserve resources for unpaid sports.
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President Donald Trump signs an executive order while presenting the Commander in Chief’s Trophy with the Midshipmen football team in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, March 20, 2026. (Julia Démarée 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 nearly $2.8 billion in back damages over the next 10 years to college athletes who competed from 2016 to 2025. The settlement also allows college programs to pay athletes directly.
