Trump’s Executive Order and the Cost of Chasing Control in College Sports

Donald Trump’s recent executive order is an attempt to bring structure back to what has become an increasingly unsettled college sports landscape. The order directs the NCAA to set clearer limits on eligibility and transfers—capping participation at five years and allowing only one penalty-free transfer—while also encouraging the creation of a national agent registry and protections for women’s and Olympic sports. Schools that fail to comply could risk losing federal funding. At its core, the move reflects a broader desire from college sports leaders to regain control after years of legal challenges that have weakened the NCAA’s ability to enforce its rules.

But as Matt Brown of Extra Points highlights, the bigger issue may not be whether the order works—it’s what it could change. For more than 30 years, the NCAA has operated as a private entity, a status reinforced by NCAA v. Tarkanian, which has allowed it to regulate college sports without being subject to many constitutional constraints. By inviting federal involvement to help enforce its rules, the NCAA risks blurring that line. If it is seen as acting in partnership with the government, it could be treated as a state actor, opening the door to new constitutional challenges. In trying to restore order, college sports leaders may be putting the very foundation of the NCAA’s authority at risk—a reminder that when the focus shifts too heavily toward control and structure, the broader purpose of college athletics can get lost.