FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek praised President Donald Trump’s “Saving College Sports” executive order Thursday, saying it could have a positive impact on student-athletes and the future of college athletics.
“Our Razorback student-athletes across all 19 sports, past and present, have benefited from a life-changing academic and athletic experience,” Yurachek said on social media. “This executive order can have a positive impact on the future of college athletics.”
Arkansas men’s basketball coach John Calipari also welcomed the measure.
“This will create opportunity for meaningful dialogue and movement toward a clearer picture of college athletics for everyone,” Calipari wrote on social media.
The executive order, signed by Trump in Washington, directs federal agencies to clarify that student-athletes are not employees and bans so-called “pay-for-play” name, image and likeness (NIL) deals.
The order also mandates scholarship protections for Olympic and women’s sports and instructs the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to address legal challenges threatening college athletics.
“It is the policy of my Administration that all college sports should be preserved and, where possible, expanded,” the order states.
The NCAA, which oversees collegiate sports nationwide, said it supports federal action to protect college athletics and student-athletes.
“The NCAA is making positive changes for student-athletes and confronting many challenges facing college sports by mandating health and wellness benefits and guaranteeing scholarships,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement. He added, “There are some threats to college sports that federal legislation can effectively address and the Association is advocating with student-athletes and their schools for a bipartisan solution with Congress and the Administration.”
The order comes as college sports face mounting legal and financial pressures. In recent years, state legislatures and courts have loosened restrictions on athlete compensation, leading to what some officials call an “arms race” in recruiting and NIL payments.
Trump’s order bans third-party “pay-for-play” deals, in which boosters or other groups directly pay athletes for their performance or as a recruitment inducement. The order threatens to withhold federal funding from institutions that violate the rule.
The White House said the order is designed to protect the viability of non-revenue college sports.
“President Trump wrote it’s the policy of his administration ‘that all college sports should be preserved and, where possible, expanded.’”
Nationally, the order drew praise from former Alabama football coach Nick Saban, who called it “a huge step in the right direction for student-athletes and the future of college sports,” former Alabama coach Nick Saban said on Fox and Friends on Friday morning.
Some legal analysts say the order’s impact may depend on future court challenges and congressional action.
“Executive orders are neither laws nor can they override existing statutes,” Sports Business Journal reported. The order’s direction to clarify the status of student-athletes as non-employees could shape ongoing litigation over athletes’ rights and benefits.
Athletic directors across the country are recalibrating their approach. Many are concerned about the order’s enforcement and the continued viability of scholarships for non-revenue sports.
“Waves of recent litigation against collegiate athletics governing rules have eliminated limits on athlete compensation, pay-for-play recruiting, and booster involvement in ways that threaten the traditional model,” Yahoo Sports reported.
Student-athletes and coaches say they are watching closely.
“I just want to play and get my education. All this stuff makes it harder to know what’s coming next,” said an SEC football player, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The NCAA, Congress and the White House are expected to continue discussions in the coming months. Yurachek said the order is “just the beginning of a longer conversation.”
The new policy takes effect immediately, but its long-term impact remains uncertain.
