Saving College Sports

This executive order, “Saving College Sports” (EO 14322), directs federal agencies to act to preserve and expand collegiate athletics—especially women’s and non-revenue sports—by pushing back against what the Administration describes as an uncontrolled market for athlete compensation and transfers. It instructs agencies to develop plans and pursue regulatory, enforcement, and litigation strategies to limit third‑party pay‑for‑play deals, encourage preservation/expansion of scholarships and roster spots based on school revenue levels, clarify the legal status of student‑athletes, and defend college athletics against antitrust and other legal challenges. The order sets short deadlines for agency planning and signals federal involvement in an area long governed by schools, the NCAA, states, and the courts. If acted on, the order could steer federal enforcement and litigation toward protecting college programs and scholarships, push universities to change scholarship and roster policies (especially at high‑revenue schools), prompt agencies to issue guidance or rules on athlete employment status, and create legal conflicts with state NIL laws and private third‑party sponsors. Because it is an executive order—not a law—its measures depend on agency action, available funding, and what courts ultimately permit.