Trump Pushes Congress on College Sports Overhaul as Panel Proposes Athlete Pay Limits

President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Congress to reform college sports. He warns the system could be lost forever as a White House-backed committee advances broad changes to control athlete pay, transfers and escalating costs.

The proposals outline a task force to study pooled media rights, limits on coaching salaries, revised eligibility rules and modifications to the transfer portal. Yahoo Sports obtained the draft document, which The Associated Press reported.

The effort follows a recent executive order from Trump. That order called college athletics an out-of-control financial arms race driven by relaxed rules on player compensation, transfers and eligibility. It called for federal intervention to prevent further destabilization.

The White House said the current model drives universities into debt. It threatens women's and Olympic sports and reduces educational opportunities for student-athletes.

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Further delay is not an option given what is at stake, the order states. It cites roughly 500,000 annual educational, athletic and leadership opportunities and nearly $4 billion in scholarships.

Trump has voiced concerns about college sports' direction. At a White House roundtable last month, he said crazy things are happening as players remain in school longer and earn more through NIL deals, according to Fox News Digital reporting.

The draft urges Congress to pass legislation quickly. It would create a task force with an antitrust exemption and power to override state laws, a key goal for NCAA and college sports leaders seeking uniform national standards.

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One contentious proposal involves pooling media rights across conferences. The Southeastern Conference and Big Ten oppose it, but Texas Tech regent Cody Campbell supports it. He argues it could generate billions in added value, per the AP.

The draft also seeks rules against salary-cap circumvention. This appears to target schools using third-party NIL deals to bypass direct payment limits to athletes.

That matter fuels an arbitration case by Nebraska football players. Their NIL deals were rejected by the College Sports Commission, which reviews third-party contracts.

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Trump's executive order tells agencies that contract with or grant money to colleges to review violations of athletics rules. These include eligibility limits, transfers, revenue sharing and improper financial activities.

The order defines those activities as fraudulent NIL schemes, use of federal funds for NIL or revenue-sharing payments, and interference with student-athlete contracts to other schools.

The White House pressed governing bodies to clarify rules by Aug. 1. Topics include eligibility limits, transfer rules, athlete medical care and protections for women's and Olympic sports.

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Congress has stalled for over a year on legislation to codify parts of the House settlement that introduced revenue sharing, the AP reports.

The draft document asks lawmakers to act before the traditional August recess.

Without a national fix, the administration warns, financial strains from football and basketball could lead schools to drop other sports or remake college athletics.