Baumgartner Applauds President Trump’s Executive Order to Save College Sports

WASHINGTON- Congressman Michael Baumgartner (WA-05) issued the following statement upon President Trump signing Executive Order, Saving College Sports earlier today.

“President Trump’s Executive Order is a major step toward restoring fairness in college athletics. It reins in NIL abuses, protects women’s and Olympic sports, and ensures any future revenue-sharing model preserves broad-based participation,” said Congressman Baumgartner. “It reflects the values I’ve championed: equity, opportunity, and sustainability across the full landscape of college sports. I applaud the President for signing this Executive Order, and I look forward to working with him to save college sports.”

The Executive Order: 

• Sets clear expectations for large athletic departments (those with over $50 million in revenue) to preserve—and for the largest departments (over $125 million)—to expand scholarship opportunities and roster spots in Olympic and non-revenue sports.

• Establishes federal policy that any revenue-sharing arrangements between schools and athletes must be structured to protect and sustain women’s sports and broad-based participation opportunities.

• Declares third-party, pay-for-play inducements—those not tied to fair market value or legitimate endorsement activity—as improper and contrary to the educational mission of college athletics.

• Directs the full federal apparatus—including the Departments of Education, Justice, HHS, the FTC, and the NLRB—to implement these priorities and to “stabilize” college athletics through regulation, enforcement, litigation, funding decisions, and coordination with states and Congress.

• Establishes a consultative group on protecting the development of the U.S. Olympic Team.  

You can read the full Executive Order here

You can read the fact sheet here