President Trump has formally endorsed the Protect College Sports Act, a Senate bill aimed at imposing federal guardrails on the rapidly commercializing world of college athletics. In a Thursday post on Truth Social, Trump described the current state of college sports as a “total mess” and warned that without legislative intervention, many programs face financial collapse.
“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,” Trump wrote. He singled out women’s sports and the Olympics as particularly vulnerable under the current system.
The president’s post echoed concerns he said were relayed by university presidents, conference commissioners, coaches, and athletic directors. “They compared it to a freight train that can’t be stopped!” he added. The bill, which has garnered bipartisan support in the Senate, would grant the NCAA limited antitrust protection. That shield would cover litigation involving the transfer portal, eligibility rules, and compensation for student athletes—issues that have sparked a wave of legal challenges in recent years.
During a Senate hearing Wednesday, former University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban backed the proposal. “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,” Saban told lawmakers. His testimony underscored the urgency felt by many in the sport.
Critics, however, argue the bill hands the NCAA too much authority and falls short on athlete protections. The Big Ten and Southeastern Conference—two of the NCAA’s most powerful leagues—pushed back this week, saying the legislation would not “meaningfully preempt the patchwork of state laws or provide the protections needed to make and enforce consistent rules.”
Trump has been pressing for action on college sports for months. He held a White House roundtable earlier this year and signed an executive order addressing major challenges facing the NCAA. The president’s latest call for Congress to “come together to pass a final Bipartisan Law, that I can sign this summer” signals that the issue remains a priority, even as other legislative battles heat up.
The push comes as lawmakers also grapple with other high-stakes policy fights. For example, three GOP senators recently crossed the aisle to block Trump’s anti-weaponization fund, and Senator Thune has drawn a line on the president’s DNI pick, signaling growing GOP unease. But on college sports, Trump appears to have found rare common ground with Democrats.
“WE HAVE TO SAVE COLLEGE SPORTS!” he concluded Thursday, urging both chambers to act quickly. Whether the bill can clear the Senate and House before summer recess remains uncertain, but the president’s endorsement gives it significant momentum.
