{"id":27208,"date":"2026-04-04T08:22:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T08:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/youskill.us\/?p=27208"},"modified":"2026-04-04T08:22:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T08:22:21","slug":"trump-threatens-schools-federal-funding-in-new-order-aimed-at-stabilizing-college-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/youskill.us\/?p=27208","title":{"rendered":"Trump threatens schools\u2019 federal funding in new order aimed at stabilizing college sports"},"content":{"rendered":"
AP<\/span>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/cite><\/div>\n

President Donald Trump tried to put some teeth into his latest attempt to save\u00a0college sports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The threat of cutting funding to cash-starved schools that don\u2019t comply is real, even if the stricter rules that come out of the executive order he signed Friday could take a while to figure out.<\/p>\n

In the\u00a0order<\/a>\u00a0signed hours before the women\u2019s Final Four tipped off one of the biggest weekends in college sports, Trump went after eligibility rules, transfers and the spiraling costs associated with an industry that now pays its players millions of dollars per year.<\/p>\n

He called on federal agencies to ensure schools are following the rules and threatened to choke off federal grants and funding \u2014 a similar approach his administration has taken to force universities around the country to alter policies involving diversity, equity and inclusion; transgender rights and even the kinds of classes they offer.<\/p>\n

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Sarah Strong #21 of the UConn Huskies takes a shot against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the third quarter in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 29, in Fort Worth, Texas.<\/span><\/div>\n

Elsa\/Getty Images<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In some ways, forcing those changes might seem like child\u2019s play once college sports figures this out. The NCAA, the newly created College Sports Commission, the four power conferences, dozens more smaller ones and hundreds of educational institutions all have a say here: It\u2019s a big reason Congress, which Trump instructed to act quickly, has been stuck for more than a year on this.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad to know the President wants Congress to pass something,\u201d said Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, a key member of the Senate committee looking into changes, who mentioned ongoing bipartisan negotiations.<\/p>\n

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Trump\u2019s order was his second on the issue since\u00a0last July<\/a>. It included a laundry list of proposed fixes, many of which lawmakers and college leaders have been pushing for since the approval of a\u00a0$2.8 billion settlement\u00a0<\/a>changed the face of games that were once played by pure amateurs.<\/p>\n

The president called for \u201cclear, consistent and fair eligibility limits, including a five-year participation window,\u201d and wants to limit athletes to one transfer with one more available once they get a four-year degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m extremely supportive of the President\u2019s order,\u201d said Cody Campbell, the Texas Tech regent and billionaire who is helping shape policy. \u201cI\u2019m very excited that we\u2019re making progress and look forward to continued work in the (Congress) to permanently preserve a system that\u2019s done so much for America.\u201d<\/p>\n

At a\u00a0college sports roundtable<\/a>\u00a0he hosted last month, Trump said he anticipated any order he signed would trigger litigation. Athletes have largely won the freedom to transfer almost at will via the portal along with the ability to be paid by schools that are now doling out more than $20 million a year to their athletes.<\/p>\n

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US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend a round table on collegiate sports in the White House in Washington, on March 6, 2026.<\/span><\/div>\n

Nathan Howard\/Reuters<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Some have also been suing the NCAA about eligibility limits, and their right to do that has been a major sticking point in the congressional deliberations.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s call for the Education Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the attorney general\u2019s office to evaluate \u201cwhether violations of such rules render a university unfit for Federal grants and contracts\u201d stands out as a way to force change.<\/p>\n

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Several universities across the country have made policy changes to comply with federal orders and avoid funding-related showdowns with the government. Yet big-named schools like\u00a0Penn State<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Florida State<\/a>\u00a0are facing huge debts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t read it, obviously, but I certainly appreciate his interest in the issue,\u201d NCAA President Charlie Baker said of Trump\u2019s order at the women\u2019s Final Four in Phoenix. \u201cAnd from what I saw, some of the social media traffic, it\u2019s pretty clear that he made clear that we need congressional action to sort of seal the deal on a number of these things, which is good, because we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commissioners at the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern Conference released statements thanking Trump for weighing in, with the ACC\u2019s Jim Phillips saying \u201cthere continues to be significant momentum to preserve the athletic and academic opportunities for the next generation of student-athletes and we appreciate the ongoing efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attorney Mit Winter, who follows college sports law, said the order is likely to set up a situation where the NCAA and schools have to decide whether to follow a federal court order or an executive order.<\/p>\n

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\u201cEither way, we\u2019re likely going to see litigation challenging the EO by athletes and third parties,\u201d Winter said.<\/p>\n

University of Nebraska president Jeffrey Gold said he didn\u2019t want to try to predict what the courts would do.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it is critical to what we must do to keep college athletics in line with what we do,\u201d Gold said. \u201cThe roundtable a few weeks ago showed there is a profound sense of urgency around this.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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