President Donald Trump is voicing strong support for new federal legislation aimed at reshaping the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics, as lawmakers in the Senate consider the “Protect College Sports Act.”
The bill, introduced this week and already drawing bipartisan attention, seeks to impose federal standards on issues that have become flashpoints in collegiate athletics, including athlete compensation, transfer rules, and eligibility policies. At its core, the proposal would grant the NCAA limited antitrust protection, shielding it from certain lawsuits related to how it governs college sports.
Trump weighed in on Thursday in a post on Truth Social, describing the current environment as chaotic and unsustainable.
He called the present state of college athletics a “total mess,” adding that “everyone is saying that it must be fixed.”
He warned of broader consequences if the system continues without federal intervention. “After unending lawsuits and crazed rulings, there are virtually no limits anymore, and soon most Colleges won’t have Sports because each and every one of them will be bankrupt, never to be heard from again,” he wrote. “Women’s Sports, and the Olympics, itself, are in the most danger from this catastrophic situation.”
Trump also argued that college athletics are rapidly becoming indistinguishable from professional sports, but without consistent rules to govern them. “College Sports are turning into Pro Sports, except with absolutely no rules, a result no one wants. University Presidents, Conference Commissioners, Student-Athletes, Coaches, and Athletic Directors all complained to me that it has become a disaster, after years of no action, and that Schools were losing Hundreds of Millions of Dollars a year,” he added. “They compared it to a freight train that can’t be stopped!”
The proposed legislation has gained support from some influential figures in college athletics, including former University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban. During a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Saban warned lawmakers about the risks of inaction, saying, “If we do nothing, the current trajectory will concentrate more power in fewer hands and widen the gap between the richest programs and everyone else.”
The bill’s supporters argue that clearer federal rules are necessary to stabilize a system that has been transformed in recent years by name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights, frequent transfers, and growing financial disparities between programs.
However, critics say the legislation would tilt too much authority back toward governing bodies like the NCAA, potentially at the expense of student-athletes’ rights. Opponents argue that stronger protections are needed for athletes navigating scholarship terms, transfers, and compensation opportunities.
Some of the most powerful athletic conferences in the country have also raised concerns. The Big Ten Conference and the Southeastern Conference have pushed back on the bill, saying this week that it would not “meaningfully preempt the patchwork of state laws or provide the protections needed to make and enforce consistent rules.”
Trump has been increasingly active on the issue in recent months, hosting a roundtable at the White House earlier this year and signing an executive order addressing structural challenges in college sports. He urged lawmakers to move quickly toward a compromise measure.
“I urge the House and Senate to come together to pass a final Bipartisan Law, that I can sign this summer, that reflects the views and input of both Chambers,” he wrote Thursday. “WE HAVE TO SAVE COLLEGE SPORTS!”
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