On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing national regulations for the NCAA’s name, image and likeness (NIL) program, which top college athletes have relied on for compensation for their playing and endorsement deals. The order, titled “SAVING COLLEGE SPORTS,” addresses recent litigation on athlete compensation, pay-for-play recruiting inducements and transfers between universities.

Talks of Trump interfering with NIL have been floating around since May, after reports came out of former University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, during a private congressional roundtable, urging the president to release an executive order on NIL compensation because he claimed players were showing “less resiliency to overcome adversity.”

For decades, the NCAA imposed strict limitations on how much student athletes could be paid to discourage them from pursuing commercial opportunities on the basis of “amateurism,” the belief that college sports are separate from professional sports in that they should only be played in the spirit of the game, not necessarily for monetary gain. But naturally, athletes began to feel cheated out of their cut of the millions in revenue that their universities were making from major programs such as football and basketball, largely based on their performances.

It wasn’t until last month that a federal judge approved a landmark NCAA settlement that cleared the way for schools to pay athletes directly. This new revenue-sharing model establishes clear and specific rules for schools to regulate third-party NIL agreements and allows for student athletes to have more autonomy and power over their personal brands.

The case of University of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is a textbook example of how NIL deals have shaped the college football landscape. Back in 2022, the California native had signed a four-year, $8 million contract with the university. After two seasons, his first as a redshirt and second as starting quarterback, he wanted to increase his deal to $4 million annually.

After unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with Tennessee, the team moved forward without Iamaleava, leaving him to enter the transfer portal. Shortly after, he announced his commitment to UCLA, despite claims that his final contract was nowhere close to the initial figure he wanted.

Iamaleava’s story is representative of the kind of issues Trump’s executive order seeks to address, namely the pay-for-play system that incentivizes athletes to negotiate competitive contracts. The order states that “the third-party market of pay-for-play inducements must be eliminated before its insatiable demand for resources dries up support for non-revenue sports.”

The order looks to level the playing field by preventing an oligarchy of teams that can simply buy the best players, in fear of reducing competition and resembling the world of professional sports too closely.

Section 2 of the executive order proposes that “opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports must be preserved and, where possible, expanded.” This is in response to concerns about money being concentrated in football and basketball programs.

“While major college football games can draw tens of millions of television viewers and attendees, they feature only a very small sample of the many athletes who benefit from the transformational opportunities that college athletics provide,” the first section states.

The order also notably calls on the secretary of labor and the National Labor Relations Board to “determine and implement the appropriate measures with respect to clarifying the status of collegiate athletes.” The concern here is that should college athletes be considered employees, they would be able to form a union and bargain for increased pay and other benefits.

Ultimately, the issue goes back to power and money and who is in control. Regardless of whether players are compensated as independent NIL contractors or as employees being paid for their performance, Trump’s insertion into the already tumultuous landscape of college sports proves that there is no such thing as avoiding politics, not even in a seemingly bipartisan space such as sports.

Since taking his second term in office, Trump has displayed an interesting, if not puzzling, interest in the world of professional and college sports. In the past few months, we’ve witnessed attempts to ban transgender athletes from Pennsylvania to California, ICE agents show up to Dodger Stadium, and Trump’s disorderly appearance on the Club World Cup stage. Then, this past Sunday, the president threatened to restrict the Washington Commanders deal to build a stadium if they did not change their name back to the controversial “Redskins.”

Given all this, it isn’t unreasonable to be skeptical of what the president actually means when he proclaims to be “SAVING COLLEGE SPORTS.” The reorganization of college sports in the last few years has placed an emphasis on money, sure — but it has also allowed for more equity in the field.

For instance, NIL deals are significantly benefiting female college athletes, who generally continue to be paid far less than their male counterparts, providing them opportunities that weren’t possible even just a few years ago. Major stars such as WNBA player Paige Bueckers and Olympic gymnast Suni Lee are among the most prominent earners in women’s sports in part as a result of a quickly evolving NIL market.

Even Trump’s oldest granddaughter, Kai, recently signed an NIL deal with Accelerator Energy to support her budding golf career. The 18-year-old University of Miami commit made the announcement in a presidential-style Instagram video, promoting the energy drink brand that is also partnered with the likes of Travis Kelce and Livvy Dunne.

Now, Kai joins the ranks not only in an NIL partnership, but as an equity partner in the brand.

“She’s going to be a leading voice in NIL and beyond,” said Andrew Wilkinson, CEO of Accelerator.

The world of college sports is already unrecognizable from what it was a few years ago, new conflicts are arising that haven’t existed before, and the NCAA’s inconsistencies against the shifting political landscape have left many athletes uncertain about their futures. As Kai makes NIL history, her grandfather has cemented his influence in the collegiate sports world in his own way. Instead of creating long-term solutions, the signing of this executive order seems poised to cause even more instability among yet another disenfranchised group in the country.

“Well we’ve always been very well established,” Cristobal said of Miami’s NIL dealings at ACC Media Day. “We’ve always been compliant, and we’ve been aggressive in the right kind of way and use it in a formative fashion that benefits our program and our players.”

On the other side, Smart and Co. appear to be offering NIL deals, at least within the high school ranks, that give Georgia more leeway elswhere.

No. 1 quarterback Jared Curtis marked the Bulldogs’ biggest addition in their No. 2 ranked class of 2026. The five-star was down to Georgia and Oregon before re-committing to UGA.

Interestingly, Curtis is slated to make approximately $750,000 in his first year in Athens, according to On3. It’s unknown how Curtis’ other NIL offers stacked up, but he likely could have earned more at another school given his pedigree.

“We sell relationships over transactions,” Smart said at SEC Media Days. “We think the relationship still wins out because the relationship allows you to push people and demand excellence, and we’re going to continue to do that at Georgia.”

The Bulldogs have lost out on other targets to Miami, too. Four-star wide receiver Vance Spafford and four-star Jontavious Wyman both flipped to the Hurricanes after previously being committed to Georgia.

Cristobal and Co. have also being on the other side, losing out on in-state, four-star cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick and Georgia tailback Jae Lamar to the Bulldogs.

“Maybe this inter-conference battle is one recruiting cycle long, but it seems to be only heating up,” Rivals’ Adam Gorney wrote.

Given the substantial NIL backing for Miami and Smart’s proven success on the recruiting trail, it would be a surprise to see this competition cool down. And both programs are located close by in talent-rich states, with plenty of history as winning programs to entice recruits, too.

A unit of the Major League Baseball players’ union and sports-betting platform DraftKings Inc. asked a federal judge to pause the union’s right of publicity lawsuit as they work to finalize a settlement.

MLB Players Inc. and DraftKings “believe they are close to” a resolution of the September lawsuit over use of players’ names and images on the betting site, according to a joint letter filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The letter to Judge Karen S. Marston requests a pause on discovery for 30 days and comes after the parties previously agreed …

Instead of celebrating a milestone strikeout record with his teammates, Tyler Bremner took the historic ball in his possession, packed up his car and drove south. There was only one person he wanted to see that evening.

This was on May 9 — two months before the Los Angeles Angels would make him the No. 2 pick in the MLB Draft.

One of college baseball’s elite arms, Tyler stayed at UC Santa Barbara for his junior season so he could be close to his mother, Jen, who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2020. He’d received interest and NIL offers to transfer, but rebuffed those opportunities at every turn.

Those five-hour drives through the night were what mattered most in his life. Not power programs, TV exposure or extra cash in his pocket. He wanted to see her, and sit by her bedside and play guitar to ease her pain.

On that night, his mom was no longer strong enough to attend games, as she had countless times over his baseball journey. The cancer was making each day more and more painful. She knew, and her family knew, that her life would soon end.

Tyler with his mother, Jen. (Photo courtesy of Tyler Bremner)

She watched on a stream as her son struck out 10 batters — surpassing the school’s all-time record on a Friday night against Loyola Marymount. Bremner didn’t stay after the blowout win. They had two more games that weekend, but he had somewhere more important to be.

He had a baseball to deliver to his biggest fan.

“It was hard,” Tyler said. “But it was the right thing to do. I was happy I was able to have that opportunity. That time was huge for my mom. Everyone told me that when I got here, she lit up and she had a lot more energy. I’m happy that I was able to bring her that joy.”

Jen Bremner died on June 11, five years to the day after she was first diagnosed.

When Bremner was taken in the draft, barely a month later, it was a moment of pure shock and joy. He wasn’t supposed to be picked that early. And the video of him finding out captures the emotion better than words can describe.

What the video didn’t show were those same people just 72 hours prior, all gathered in the exact same location, inside that same San Diego home. There, they held a celebration of life ceremony for Jen. She was 55 years old.

Tyler Bremner and his family’s reaction to being drafted No. 2 overall by the Angels in the MLB draft ❤️ pic.twitter.com/cDlfquPkHb

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 13, 2025

Growing up, everyone always told Tyler that he and his mom were one and the same. She was an emotional person, expressive of how she felt at all times. That’s why she became Tyler’s most important confidant. He went to her with everything.

“I feel like we were really connected in that way,” Tyler said. “If I had a problem off the field, if I had a problem on the field. Mentally, trying to get through struggles as we all do, she was that person that I went to all the time.”

Triple negative breast cancer is a rare form of the disease, where typical breast cancer treatments aren’t effective.

Following Jen’s diagnosis, Tyler’s father, Jason, held a family meeting with their three kids, then much younger. He leveled with Tyler and his two sisters. He told them that every moment with their mother would be “bonus time.” They didn’t know how much time she had left.

“We have to make sure that we’re making that clock count,’” Jason said. “‘As a family, we all made the decision that, when it’s needed, we’re all going to have to make sacrifices. To make sure that we push the clock as far as we can, and that the time we have is useful and meaningful.”

Her battle teased hope of a full recovery. Following 18 months of chemotherapy treatment, the cancer was held at bay. Not in remission, but for more than two years her condition remained stable.

It was only a year ago that she received a stage four, terminal diagnosis, indicating that her cancer had spread.

She continued rigorous weekly treatments, but not because it would increase her chance of remission. At that point, recovery was not medically possible. Those treatments were to extend her time, as physically painful as it was. She wanted to make it as long as she could, specifically to make it to July 13.

“That was her dream,” Jason said. “To see her son drafted.”

Now, after her death, Tyler is determined to keep her story alive, and to fight for a cause that has become extremely personal to him.

“She would tell me all the time, ‘If you’re able to have that platform later in life, and you have eyes on you, I want you to use it for good,’” Tyler said. “‘I want you to spread awareness on cancer, and spread awareness on my story.’ I’m definitely going to try to honor that.”

He had come into the year after an elite sophomore season, going 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA, and was projected as a potential early draft pick. But the start of his season threatened to derail all of that. By the end of March, he’d posted a 4.24 ERA, without any double-digit strikeout performances.

The Angels considered both his on-field performance and his personal situation, knowing that his family’s tough times might have impacted him. They still believed in him. And over Bremner’s final seven starts, that faith paid off. He posted a 2.91 ERA, while striking out double-digit batters six times. There’s a correlation, he believes. As his mother’s condition worsened, his pitching got better.

“I think it got real for him and everybody around the program really fast, what was going on,” said UC Santa Barbara head coach Andrew Checketts. “I feel like he had another gear, and he left it all out there on the field.”

That’s because pitching wasn’t an escape for Bremner. It was a way to connect. Every time he took the mound, he’d get on a knee and have a conversation in his head. He’d remind himself, “She’s proud of you. She’s watching you. She’s fighting for you.”

Jen Bremner followed every one of Tyler’s games closely. (Courtesy of Tyler Bremner)

He’d draw a heart on the mound — the same way she drew it. He plans to get a tattoo of it, as well.

In the moments where things got tough, he’d go back to that. He’d look at the heart and internalize his reason for drawing it. That would reset him, he said, in a way that’s tough to explain.

If he can make it to the big leagues, he’ll do the same thing. He’ll draw that heart, he’ll have that conversation. And he’ll know that she’s right there alongside him for a moment she made possible.

“I’m not a religious person,” Bremner said. “Up until this point, I haven’t thought much about what the afterlife is, or if that’s even a real possibility. But this all unfolding this way has genuinely strengthened my belief in the whole thing.

“I know she’s here.”

(Top photo courtesy of Tyler Bremner)