In yet another sweeping move impacting college athletics, President Trump just signed an Executive Order seeking to ban “third-party, pay-for-play payments to collegiate athletes,” while still allowing athletes to enter into Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. The July 24 “Saving College Athletics” Executive Order delegates authority to several federal agencies to help establish a more consistent regulatory framework, and also seems to push regulators to prevent student-athletes from being classified as employees. What does your athletic department need to know about yet another landmark change to the governance of college athletics?
Why Did the President Get Involved in College Athletics?
The President’s involvement stems primarily from the growing complexities surrounding NIL rights for student-athletes, and a lack of Congressional action on nationwide standards. Since 2021, numerous states have enacted their own NIL laws, allowing college athletes to earn compensation in various forms. These laws are often drafted to give schools within that state a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining athletes. The result has been a fragmented legal landscape, with inconsistent and conflicting rules that impact student-athletes, institutions, and athletic departments across the country.
Although members of Congress from both parties have introduced legislation aimed at creating national standards, none of these efforts have been enacted into law. As legislative gridlock continues, stakeholders have increasingly turned to the executive branch for clarity and support. Many groups have spent considerable time both at the White House and on Capitol Hill to advocate for uniform national rules, citing the urgent need for consistency and student-athlete protections.
What Does the Executive Order Say?
The Executive Order begins by acknowledging the current challenges in college athletics, including the impact of state-by-state NIL laws, the importance of college sports in building life skills, and the unique role collegiate athletics plays in supporting U.S. Olympic teams. It expresses the federal government’s interest in helping stabilize and preserve the landscape.
To that end, the Order delegates authority to various federal agencies and officials to take the following actions:
Reining in Pay-for-Play Payments –The Executive Order takes direct aim at pay-for-play deals. While the White House acknowledges that student-athletes should be able to enter into legitimate NIL arrangements, it says that “pay-for-play” deals are “improper and should not be permitted by universities.” It says that any NIL deals that offer a “fair market value” for endorsements or other legitimate purposes are permissible. It calls for a coordinated federal plan to enforce these standards through regulatory, enforcement, and funding mechanisms, including Title IX compliance and constitutional protections.
Clarifying Employment Status – The Order directs the Secretary of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board to clarify the status of student-athletes in Order to preserve non-revenue sports and the irreplaceable educational and developmental opportunities that college sports provide. This would seem to indicate that the White House does not want student-athletes to be classified as employees.
Protecting Women’s and Non-Revenue Sports – The Order directs the Secretary of Education to “protect and expand” women’s and non-revenue collegiate sports.
Under the directive, athletic departments generating over $125 million in revenue during the 2024–2025 season are expected to maintain or increase scholarships and maximize roster spots for non-revenue sports in future seasons.
Departments at or above $50 million in revenue are directed to provide a least as many scholarships as they did in 2024-2025.
Those athletic departments below $50 million in revenue are cautioned not to reduce opportunities based on a sport’s revenue potential.
Uniform Rules – The Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission are directed to stabilize and preserve college athletics. Their responsibilities include establishing rules to protect the rights and interests of student-athletes, setting standards for athlete protections, and promoting uniformity between federal and state laws governing NIL compensation.
Olympic Support – The Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and the Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement must coordinate with the U.S. Olympic teams and other relevant entities to ensure that federal policies support the continued development of Olympic competitors through college athletics – particularly in light of the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
What’s Next?
The Executive Order doesn’t change anything for universities immediately. Instead, it directs top agency heads to develop a plan within 30 days to push the Order’s goals using “all available and appropriate regulatory, enforcement, and litigation mechanisms.” Stay tuned for action from the various federal agencies named, but the chances of meaningful litigation emerging from Congress in such a short timespan seem low.
What are Three Key Steps Athletic Departments Should Take Next?
Now that it is clear that these issues are on the radar screen for the Trump administration, universities should ensure their athletic departments consider preparing for possible changes. Here are three changes to consider.
Prioritize and Expand Non-Revenue and Women’s Sports.
Athletic departments should consider finding ways to maintain or increase non-revenue and women’s sports based on their revenue. While the enforceability of the Executive Order’s directives on this subject will likely be subject to challenge, colleges and universities should be prepared for more federal oversight.
Ensure Compliance with Evolving State and Federal Regulations.
With shifting state NIL laws and a federal push for uniform rules, athletic departments should stay on top of legal updates and adjust policies as needed. This means aligning with current laws, offering clear guidance to student-athletes and staff, and working with legal experts to prepare for changes.
Strengthen Support for Olympic Sports and Student-Athlete Development.
In line with the Executive Order’s focus on preserving Olympic pathways, athletic departments should continue to find ways to invest in Olympic sports programs. With the 2028 Olympics fast approaching, institutions play a vital role in developing elite athletes and should work closely with national governing bodies and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to ensure college athletics continues to serve as a pipeline for Team USA.
Conclusion
For questions regarding NIL and college athletics, feel free to reach out to your Fisher Phillips attorney, the authors of the Insight, another member of our Sports Industry Group, or any member of the Higher Ed Team. We’ll continue to monitor the status of developing NIL and college athletics legislation and will provide updates as warranted, so make sure you are signed up for Fisher Phillips’ Insight service.
The college volleyball offseason has only just officially begun, but moves are already being made.
Kentucky head coach Craig Skinner kicked things off by signing an All-American honorable mention for next season’s group. UK announced the addition of Notre Dame outside hitter Morgan Gaerte through the transfer portal on Wednesday morning. A 6-foot-5 native of Indiana, Gaerte was named a 2025 AVCA All-American Honorable Mention and a First Team All-ACC performer. She’ll help ease the loss of Eva Hudson — the lone senior on Kentucky’s national runner-up team this past season — on the outside.
Gaerte, who will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Wildcats, set a Notre Dame record last season with 4.64 kills per set (13th nationally). She’ll be expected to play on the opposite side of All-American outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye for the ‘Cats in 2026. Skinner is already reloading.
Gaerte was a rare star for Notre Dame volleyball. A team captain, she started all 28 matches in 2025 as a sophomore for the Fighting Irish, finishing the year with 497 kills, the third-most ever in a season in Notre Dame history and the most since Christy Peters in 1997. Her First Team All-ACC nod was the first by a Notre Dame player since 2020. She reached 20 or more kills in 11 matches, also a program record for one season.
But where the transfer portal can give, it can also take. Kentucky lost a piece of this past season’s roster when redshirt sophomore middle blocker Brooke Bultema announced on Wednesday her intentions to transfer out of Lexington. After a redshirt freshman campaign in 2024 that saw her named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, Bultema did not see as much playing time in 2025 as she would have hoped for.
She likely won’t be the last outgoing transfer for Kentucky, either. Skinner is expected to return eight of his top nine rotation players from last season (barring an unexpected transfer), with the only departure being Hudson to graduation. And now that Gaerte is in the fold, the top half of the roster is in good shape once again. Don’t be shocked if other current Wildcats deeper on the bench elect to look elsewhere in the coming days/weeks.
Skinner shows love to the BBN
Coming off a disappointing loss in the national championship match to Texas A&M, Craig Skinner reminded us all how truly magical the 2025 campaign still was. Kentucky won its ninth straight SEC Championship, won the SEC Tournament, finished with 30 wins on the season, and went perfect (15-0) during conference play. UK made just the program’s second-ever national title match and first since winning it all in 2020 along the way.
Skinner sent out a few social media posts on Wednesday morning, thanking the Big Blue Nation for all their support throughout the season. He says over 38,000 total fans showed up to home matches inside Memorial Coliseum in 2025, where the ‘Cats did not drop a single match.
Man. What a ride! This team rejuvenated my fire for coaching and my love for this incredible fan base. Over 38,000 of you came through the turnstiles at HMC and led us to an undefeated home record and a Lexington Regional Championship! pic.twitter.com/Xw7aBDBN4E
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ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – Four members of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland volleyball team were honored by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) as members of the CSC Academic All-District® Team, the organization announced in a release Tuesday (Dec. 16).
Senior Julia Bobrowski (California, Md./Leonardtown), juniors Camilla Galeano (Germantown, Md./Damascus) and Lauren Panageotou (Baltimore, Md./Mercy), and sophomore Stella Marrero (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Christian Life) all earned the award for the 2025 season.
Bobrowski is the lone repeat selection.
The 2025 Academic All-District® Volleyball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom.
The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes volleyball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA.
Outstanding student-athletes are nominated for Academic All-District® recognition by communications directors and must have a minimum 3.50 GPA plus meet high athletic standards.
Bobrowski owns a 3.74 GPA as a sociology major and business administration minor for her second straight Academic All-District award. The 5-6 outside hitter ranked sixth in the United East Conference with 55 service aces and 14th with 0.52 aces per set. She was named to the United East All-Sportsmanship Team (Nov. 24).
Galeano, a computer science major with a 3.87 GPA, tied for 14th in the conference with 42 service aces while tying for 17th with 0.49 aces per set. The 5-4 setter led the Seahawks with 402 assists while registering 20-plus assists five times this season.
A psychology major and educational studies minor, Panageotou boasts a 3.7 GPA. The 5-10 setter was second on the team with 291 assists while adding 101 digs, 12 service aces, and six kills in 30 matches.
Marrero picked up her first Academic All-District award with 3.96 GPA as a neuroscience and psychology double major and biology minor. The 5-7 defensive specialist ranked 10th in the United East with 303 digs while sitting 20th with 2.78 digs per set. She was also second on the team with 45 service aces.
St. Mary’s College (17-15, 8-2 UEC) captured the program’s first-ever conference tournament championship title by taking the 2025 United East tournament crown with a 3-2 road win over top-seeded Penn State Harrisburg. The Seahawks also gained the program’s first-ever berth in the NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
Wellsboro junior Madison Cruttenden was recently named to the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association’s, PVCA, Class 2A All-State team.
Cruttenden was one of three NTL and District IV volleyballers (Aryana Andrus and Alli Bailey from Troy) to make the team.
Cruttenden received 536 serves, made 37 assists and had 341 digs this season. She also scored 163 points to go along with 54 aces.
Over the course of her career she has made 1,197 receptions, 56 assists, 784 digs, 407 points (112 aces) and 6 kills.
“This is a well-deserved honor for Maddy,” head coach Darci Pollock said. “She has been a consistent back row player for us the past two seasons. She continues to work hard in the off season. I’m very proud of her work ethic and dedication to the team!”
Cruttenden is the ninth Wellsboro player to earn a spot on the PCVA All-State team. Cruttenden joins Carrie Gorda, Rachel Patt, Hannah Zuchowski, Kirsten Florio, Caitlyn Callahan, Megan Starkweather, Paige Logsdon and Lexi Urena.
All-RRV Volleyball 2025: A golden finish: Trinity Christian Academy’s Pyeatt walks off as state champion and All-RRV Volleyball Co-Offensive Player of the Year | Free
The 118th Millrose Games women’s 3000 meters on Feb. 1, 2026, at the Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory will feature a showdown between NCAA distance running’s top stars Doris Lemngole and Jane Hedengren, along with 2025 runner-up Josette Andrews.
Lemngole, competing for Alabama, holds the NCAA championship and record in the 3000m steeplechase. The Kenya native won the steeplechase at the Lausanne Diamond League and finished fourth at the World Championships before claiming her second straight NCAA cross country title — her fifth NCAA championship overall. The junior received the 2025 Bowerman Award last week, recognizing her as collegiate track and field’s top athlete.
“I am excited and looking forward to competing at the Millrose Games, especially given its prestige and historic significance,” said Lemngole in a release by the meeting this week.. “It is a great opportunity!”
Read More: Julien Alfred Among Sprinters Confirmed For 2025 Millrose Games
Hedengren broke every American high school distance record from 1500m through 5000m before enrolling at BYU. The freshman went unbeaten in cross country until finishing second to Lemngole at nationals, then shattered the NCAA 5000m record with a 14:44.79 clocking in her indoor debut.
Both runners will chase Katelyn Tuohy’s NCAA 3000m record of 8:35.20, established at the 2023 Millrose Games.
Andrews, from Tenafly, N.J., finished sixth in the 5000m at the 2025 World Championships and has top-five showings at World Indoor Championships and the Diamond League Final.
Several Other 118th Millrose Games Confirmations
The World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meet will also feature Grant Fisher, Cole Hocker, Elle St. Pierre, Jess Hull, Nikki Hiltz, Joe Kovacs, Yared Nuguse, Hobbs Kessler, Cameron Myers, Julien Alfred, Devynne Charlton and Danielle Williams.
Tickets are available at millrosegames.org. More than 85 percent of seats have sold.
DAYTONA BEACH – The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats have officially released their 2026 softball schedule. The schedule includes four in-season tournaments prior to SWAC play along with two separate contests against non-conference foes.
The Wildcats’ season will begin at the USF-Rawlings Classic in Tampa from February 5-7. B-CU will open against Illinois State, followed by matchups with USF, Kansas, Michigan, and Florida.
The Cats’ first game at Sunnyland Park will take place on February 11th against North Dakota State at 5 p.m.
From February 13-15, the Wildcats will be in Leesburg, Florida for THE Spring Games, where they will take on mid-majors LIU, Southern Miss, Loyola Chicago, and St. John’s.
The following weekend, B-CU once again travels to Cathedral City, California for an appearance in the annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (Feb. 19-21), squaring off against Utah, Rutgers, Texas Tech, Oregon State, and Long Beach State.
For their fourth and final in-season tournament, the Wildcats head to Madiera Beach, Florida for the Make It Happen Games. The event takes place from February 27 to March 1 and features Bellarmine, UMass, UIC, Bowling Green, and Monmouth.
The Wildcats’ SWAC schedule begins on Friday, March 6th with a two-game road series against Alabama A&M. B-CU will then finish up their non-conference schedule following a road contest against UNF (March 11).
B-CU welcomes Alabama State for a three-game series on March 13th & 14th. The following weekend (March 20-21), they will travel to play Jackson State before heading back to Sunnyland. The Cats host rival Florida A&M for a three-game set on March 27th and 28th.
The Wildcats travel to Itta Bena, Mississippi to take on the Delta Devils on April 3rd & 4th. Their final three series include rematches of previous series against Jackson State, Alabama State, and Alabama A&M. B-CU will host the Tigers (April 10-11) and the Bulldogs (April 24-25), while traveling to face the Hornets (April 17-18).
The Southeastern Athletic Conference tournament will again compete in Gulfport, Mississippi, and takes place from May 5th to May 9th.
Follow Bethune-Cookman Softball on Twitter (@BCUSoftball) and Instagram (@BCUSoftball) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUathletics.com.
