Trump Limits College Athletes to Five Years, One Transfer

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 10, 2025, directing the NCAA to implement strict eligibility and transfer rules for college athletes. The order mandates that athletes can participate for no more than five years and transfer schools only once without sitting out a season. Institutions violating these rules risk losing federal funding. The changes take effect on August 1, 2025, and enforcement will be handled by the NCAA with oversight from the federal government.

Trump stated that looser rules on eligibility, transfers, and pay-for-play schemes have created an "out-of-control financial arms race" pushing universities into debt. This follows a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that allowed student-athletes to earn from name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, leading to soaring compensation in high-visibility sports like football and men's basketball. The president argues this burden forces schools to cut other sports, such as athletics, swimming, and gymnastics, which feed US Olympic teams.

The order also calls for banning "improper" financial arrangements and urges Congress to pass legislation. It comes amid the NCAA basketball tournaments, with women's semi-finals on Friday and men's Final Four on Saturday. A previous July 2025 order targeted third-party recruiting payments to protect funding for women's and non-revenue sports.

While this policy reshapes US collegiate sports, Nigerian observers might note parallels in balancing athlete compensation with program sustainability. For Nigerian student-athletes in US universities, these new limits could affect recruitment and career timelines. The federal funding threat ensures strict compliance, potentially setting a precedent for government intervention in sports governance globally.

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/04/04/trump-signs-executive-order-to-regulate-college-sports/