Donald Trump Expected to Issue Executive Order on NIL Guidelines; SCORE Act Advances Through Subcommittee
For the past four years, college athletes have been able to earn compensation for their name, image and likeness (NIL), with the money typically distributed through sponsorships and school-affiliated collective funds. Now, guidance on NIL could be coming from the federal level for the first time after years of the NCAA petitioning Congress to intervene.
Most immediately, President Donald Trump is expected to issue an Executive Order that would establish “national standards” for NIL, according to CBS News. A further report from USA TODAY Sports indicated a lack of clarity as to what that order will include, with the article citing a frequent Trump collaborator on issues related to college sports, Texas Tech Board of Regents member Cody Campbell.
Additionally, legislation known as the SCORE Act advanced through the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade on Tuesday, with a 12-11 vote along party lines. The full House Committee on Energy and Commerce would take up the bill next, but it faces a tough challenge to make it through both full houses of Congress.
None of this is to suggest that sources of funding for college athletes will disappear soon or ever. Rather, the 2025-26 season will see the introduction of the House settlement and direct payments from schools to athletes. The SCORE Act would give further power to the NCAA to regulate NIL payments through the creation of an antitrust exemption.
According to NBC Sports, the bill would “bring together distinct and competing businesses under a set of rules that will be good for (the NCAA), and bad for the players.” Much of the opposition to the bill centers around its potential to further divert resources to schools already possessing financial advantages, such as those in Power-Four conferences. According to NBC Sports, Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.) is opposed to the bill because he believe it would hurt the ability of schools like Washington State, Gonzaga and Eastern Washington to be competitive.
