In a headline-grabbing move that’s already shaking college sports to its core, former President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Thursday aimed at cracking down on “pay-to-play” schemes while simultaneously reaffirming support for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights—and mandating the protection of women’s and non-revenue sports.
The order comes just weeks after the landmark House v. NCAA settlement, which allowed universities to begin directly compensating athletes. With bidding wars erupting for elite football and men’s basketball players, alarm bells rang across Title IX circles: would women’s sports get pushed aside?
Trump’s order attempts to put a stop to that.