WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 3, 2026, directing federal agencies to enforce rules on eligibility, transfers, and costs in college sports, threatening to cut federal funding to schools that do not comply. The order was signed hours before the women's Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament began.

The executive order directs the Education Department, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice to evaluate whether violations of college sports rules render a university unfit for federal grants and contracts. Among its provisions, the order calls for a five-year participation window for athletes and limits them to one transfer, with a second transfer permitted only after earning a four-year degree.

Under current rules, college athletes can transfer via the portal with few restrictions. Some college athletes are suing the NCAA over eligibility limits, and those lawsuits have been a sticking point in congressional deliberations on college sports legislation. Congress has been unable to pass college sports legislation for more than a year and separately approved a $2.8 billion settlement to pay NCAA players.

Charlie Baker, president of the NCAA, acknowledged he had not yet reviewed the full text of the order. "I haven't read it, obviously, but I certainly appreciate his interest in the issue. And from what I saw, some of the social media traffic, it's pretty clear that he made clear that we need Congressional action to sort of seal the deal on a number of these things, which is good, because we do," Baker said.

The ACC and the SEC released statements thanking Trump for the executive order. Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, a member of the Senate committee reviewing potential changes to college sports legislation, said, "I'm glad to know the President wants Congress to pass something."

Mit Winter, an attorney specializing in college sports law, said, "Either way, we're likely going to see litigation challenging the executive order by athletes and third parties." At a college sports roundtable last month, Trump said he anticipated that any executive order he signed would trigger litigation.

The order was Trump's second executive action on college sports since July 2025. The Trump administration has previously used threats to withhold federal funding to pressure universities to alter policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion, transgender rights, and course offerings. Several universities have changed policies to comply with federal orders and avoid disputes over funding. Some colleges pay more than $20 million per year to their athletes.

College sports governance involves the NCAA, the College Sports Commission, the four power conferences, dozens of smaller conferences, and hundreds of educational institutions.