What a worthless organization. They printed money for decades, thanks to using free labor. Now, over the past ten+ years that business model has been upended because they did nothing proactive - they just tried to hold on to what they had, while every court has said they’re violating anti-trust. Their last hope is this ridiculous attempt to get Congress to say they are exempt from antitrust.
No EO can save the NCAA. But they’ve shown no willingness to change. Until we have a collective bargaining agreement and contracts, lawyers and courts are gonna keep landing punches… until one day it’s KO’d.
These schools need to either make athletes employees (and finally accept what has been the de facto special status of athletes for more than a century), or just divest themselves from this entirely. Plenty of PE firms that would willingly invest.
Instead, presidents and chancellors sit in their ivory towers getting high on their own supply, and believing the BS that they hold some sort of special morality.
Full disclosure: I’d prefer to go back to the pre-Bannon period and believe a free education is enough renumeration. But those days are gone, and the NCAA is fully to blame.
Didn't know what you were talking about until I looked it up, but it doesn't seem like many of these make it through the courts.
Executive Order signed by President Trump on Friday, April 3, 2026, rather than a standalone NCAA proposal.
This order, titled "Urgent National Action to Save College Sports," aims to restore what the administration calls "order and stability" to collegiate athletics. Here are the specific details of the directive:
Key Provisions of the Order The "5-for-5" Model: Participation in college athletics would be capped at five seasons within a strict five-year window. This is intended to end the "infinite eligibility" era of medical redshirts and COVID-19 waivers.
One-Time Transfer Rule: Athletes are limited to one transfer with immediate eligibility during that five-year period.
The Grad Transfer Exception: A second transfer with immediate eligibility is permitted only if the athlete has already obtained their four-year degree.
Professional Ban: The order explicitly bars professional athletes (such as those who have played in the NBA G-League or been drafted) from returning to compete at the college level.
Enforcement and Challenges The administration is using "the power of the purse" to enforce these changes. The order directs federal agencies to evaluate whether universities that violate these rules are "unfit" for federal grants and contracts.
Current Status:
Effective Date: The core sections of the order are set to take effect on August 1, 2026.
Legal Pushback: Legal experts and athlete advocates have already signaled that this will be challenged in court. Previous attempts by the NCAA to restrict transfers have been struck down by judges on antitrust grounds, and it remains to be seen if an Executive Order can bypass those judicial precedents.
NCAA Response: NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a measured statement, noting that the order reinforces some of the NCAA's existing goals, such as scholarship protections and health care, while the association "modernizes" its rules.
For now, the order has created a cloud of uncertainty for athletes considering the transfer portal this spring, as the threat of losing eligibility or federal funding looms over the upcoming 2026-27 academic year.
