President Trump issues a new executive order imposing five-year eligibility and one-time transfer rules on college athletes, with federal funding at risk.

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at regulating US collegiate sports. The order directs the National Collegiate Athletic Association to create rules limiting athlete eligibility to a five-year period.

It also calls for rules allowing athletes to transfer schools once before graduating without sitting out a season. Institutions permitting athletes who do not meet these criteria risk losing federal funding, with changes scheduled for August 1.

Trump stated that the loosening of “consistent rules or limits concerning eligibility, transfers, and pay-for-play schemes has created an out-of-control financial arms race… that is driving universities into debt.” The order additionally calls on governing bodies to ban “improper” financial arrangements and urges Congressional action.

This follows an order issued by Trump last July that sought to block some third-party recruiting payments in big-money sports. The president argued last month that rising name, image and likeness contract values burden colleges, forcing some to abandon other sports.

These other sports, such as athletics and swimming, have long been pipelines for US Olympic teams. The NCAA historically prohibited student athletes from accepting compensation for their name, image and likeness.

A 2021 Supreme Court ruling subsequently changed the rules, allowing some collegiate athletes to receive financial compensation. Friday’s order was signed as the popular NCAA basketball tournament reached its closing stages.

 The Sun Malaysia