The NCAA and Autonomy 5 conferences issued a statement in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order on college sports. Trump signed the order Thursday after previous reports said he planned to do so.

In the order, Trump called for “guardrails” on pay-for-play NIL payments and directed the National Labor Relations Board and Secretary of Labor to clarify athletes are not employees. He also called for new rules regarding scholarships based on athletics spending.

Shortly after The White House announced Trump signed the order, NCAA president Charlie Baker released a statement. He pointed out the “threats” facing college sports, but credited the administration for its work to help settle the space.

“The NCAA is making positive changes for student-athletes and confronting many challenges facing college sports by mandating health and wellness benefits and guaranteeing scholarships, but there are some threats to college sports that federal legislation can effectively address and the Association is advocating with student-athletes and their schools for a bipartisan solution with Congress and the Administration,” Baker said.

“The Association appreciates the Trump Administration’s focus on the life-changing opportunities college sports provides millions of young people and we look forward to working with student-athletes, a bipartisan coalition in Congress and the Trump Administration to enhance college sports for years to come.”

The Autonomous 5 conferences – who are playing central roles in the implementation of the House v. NCAA settlement – also addressed Trump’s decision to sign the executive order. Additionally, the SCORE Act is on track to be introduced on the floor of the House of Representatives, which add to the pushes for federal help with regard to college athletics.

“We appreciate President Trump’s commitment to protecting the future of college athletics,” the A5 conferences said in a joint statement. “This executive order builds on the momentum created by the bipartisan SCORE Act, which will provide long-term stability to college sports and expand resources to support the overall well-being of student-athletes.

“With the House settlement now in effect, student-athletes have more financial and academic support than ever before. Now, attention turns to preserving these monumental gains by passing a federal law with national standards for student-athletes’ NIL rights. We hope Congress sends federal legislation to President Trump’s desk as soon as possible.”

The executive order prohibits third-party, pay-for-play payments but “does not apply to legitimate, fair-market-value compensation that a third party provides to an athlete, such as for a brand endorsement,” according to the White House’s release. It is unknown what entity will have the authority to enforce the prohibition of third-party, pay-for-play payments included in Trump’s executive order.

Pete Nakos contributed.

Inside Ford Field at Mid-American Conference Football Media Day Thursday, July 24, Eastern Michigan University football did not just show up—they stood out. Representing more than just a team, Head Coach Chris Creighton, senior offensive lineman Mickey Rewolinski (Caledonia, Wis./Union Grove), and senior defensive lineman Jefferson Adam (Ypsilanti, Mich./Washtenaw International/Hocking College/Iowa State) carried with them a mindset, a mantra, a mission: “The Climb.”

As Creighton enters his 12th season in Ypsilanti—tied for the longest-tenured coach in the MAC and the only one to beat every team in the conference—his message for 2025 is clear: this season is about more than wins and losses. It’s about the journey, and embracing every step of it.

“We’re about to embark on our camp,” Creighton said during a live interview on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Dustin Fox. “We’re going to really, really get good at playing Eastern Michigan football—with guys who now know each other and care about each other and are a good fit.”

And that journey begins with a new cast. EMU brings in 50 new players this fall, including a group of incoming freshmen and transfers.

“It’s all about building a team, bringing it together,” Creighton said. “Because it’s still playing football, right? With all the new people, you still gotta be together. You still gotta play the game of football—and you gotta do it together.”

The climb isn’t just metaphorical. Last week, as part of a longstanding tradition, the Eagles’ senior class made their way up Pikes Peak—14,115 feet above sea level—and the trip once again tested the team’s will.

“Oh, those two studs,” Creighton said, pointing to Rewolinski and Adam. “They just went up to 14,115 feet and crushed it. The guys did so good—I may have struggled a little bit more than normal because they were going so fast. But it was a great trip.”

For Creighton, the symbolism of that literal climb aligns with the evolving challenges of modern college football—namely, roster turnover, NIL, and the transfer portal.

“You may not have a kid for four or five years anymore,” he acknowledged. “But then I got something out of this year’s convention. A quote by Billy Graham—it’s up in our staff room. He says: ‘A coach will impact more lives in a year than an average person will in a lifetime.’ And that hit me differently this time. It said ‘in a year.’ Not four or five.”

That perspective shift is key for Eastern’s leadership—both on and off the field. Rewolinski, a six-year veteran who has played nearly every position along the offensive line, said the message from Creighton has remained as strong as ever.

“He brings the fire every day,” Rewolinski said. “He still loves football as much as he did six years ago when I first got here. I think he’s maybe even taken it to another level. He wants to win so badly that he makes it known to the players.”

When asked about this year’s squad, Rewolinski didn’t hesitate.

“Championship is always the hope,” he said. “From an offensive line and running back standpoint, I’d say our running back room is the best since I’ve been here. We’ve got a lot of different people who can do different things. And our O-line has a lot of experience.”

On the quarterback situation—one of the most-watched in the MAC—Creighton was optimistic, but honest.

“It’s a battle,” he said. “However, the guys aren’t fighting against each other. They help each other. Both Noah Kim (Centerville, Va./Westfield/Michigan State/Coastal Carolina) and Cameron Edge (Clayton, Del./Smyrna/Maryland) joined us in January, and now that we’re into summer, we say you’re not ‘new’ anymore. And then Jeremiah Salem’s (Germantown, Tenn./Houston) been with us all the way through—he’s certainly throwing his hat in the ring.”

As always, the journey begins with preparation. And for Eastern, that means one last team workout before camp—this time, on the sand.

“We’ll have our final summer workout tomorrow morning at Warren Dunes State Park, 6:30 a.m., on the beach and on the water,” Creighton said with a grin. “And then Tuesday, they’re checking in. Wednesday, we’re rolling.”

That climb continues into a rugged schedule that opens with a road trip to Texas State, a home game against Long Island University, and a visit to Kentucky. Then comes the gauntlet of MAC play, starting with a rivalry showdown at Central Michigan University, Sept. 27.

But for this group, the destination isn’t the focus. Creighton knows how far this team has come—and how far they still want to go.

“You’ve got to find the sweet spot,” he said. “Yes, things change. But some things aren’t ever going to change. You’ve still got to be a team to play football at a high level.”

And so the Eagles climb—step by step, rep by rep, day by day.

 

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The 2025 schedule is packed with storylines, including matchups against eight teams that reached bowl games in 2024 and five home opponents that earned postseason bids. With eleven Saturday contests and one electrifying Tuesday night showdown, there are plenty of opportunities for fans to make EMU Football part of their fall traditions.

Families, friends, and fans from across the region are invited to join the Eagles at The Factory for a season full of heart-pounding action, meaningful celebrations, and community-focused fun. Whether you’re coming for the halftime show, the themed festivities, or the hard-hitting football, EMU promises an experience that’s as rewarding as it is affordable.

Tickets are available now and can be purchased online at EMUEagles.com/tickets, by calling 734.487.3669, or by visiting the EMU Ticket Office in person.

 

As expected, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order regarding NIL payments.

The fact sheet detailing the order’s main points says it all.

“President Trump recognizes the critical role of college sports in fostering leadership, education, and community pride, the need to address urgent threats to its future, including endless litigation seeking to eliminate the basic rules of college sports, escalating private-donor pay-for-play payments in football and basketball that divert resources from other sports and reduce competitive balance, and the commonsense reality that college sports are different than professional sports,” the fact sheet reads, via Amanda Christovich of FrontOfficeSports.com.

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The “endless litigation” mentioned in the fact sheet was the result of a corrupt system that violated the antitrust laws and exploited players. The “endless litigation” was about making things right. About making them legal.

The executive order, as expected, is about turning the clock back to the days before the courts gave players power, along with the ability to make money. And the fact sheet reads as if Nick Saban himself wrote it from Trump.

(As if Saban wrote it for Trump. Saban.)

It’s unclear whether the executive order has any potency. It’s not a law. Like the SCORE Act, which is working its way toward a party-line vote in the House — and which likely will become law and, under the guise of solving an overblown CRISIS! that the NCAA and its members should be expected to solve on its own — pick the pockets of players by artificially limiting what they may earn.

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Through it all, the players have no voice. That’s how the prior system lasted for decades, until the courts blew it up. Now, the other two branches of the federal government are doing their damnedest to override that progress.

Consider it another inalienable right. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness through the watching of college sports where the kids who are playing the games have limits on what they can get paid.

Associated Press

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self had two stents inserted into his heart to treat blocked arteries Thursday at Lawrence Memorial Hospital after he felt “felt unwell and experienced some concerning symptoms.”

“The procedure went very well, and he is expected to make a full recovery,” the Kansas athletic department said in a statement. “He is in good spirits and expects to be released from the hospital soon.”

The 62-year-old Self directed the final practice of the summer session Thursday morning as he prepares for his 23rd seasons as head coach of the Jayhawks. He missed the 2023 Big 12 and NCAA tournaments because of a heart condition, getting a standard catheterization and having two stents inserted to help treat blocked arteries.

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