Trump is contemplating an executive order to require federal evaluation of whether college athletes should be seen as employees. The draft mandates that the Secretary of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board analyze this employment status to enhance educational benefits from athletic departments. Leaders in college sports and certain lawmakers oppose recognizing athletes as employees to avoid financial strain on athletic programs. While the order does not ban employment, it reflects concerns about costs, and it proposes a commission to support collegiate athletic opportunities.
The draft calls on the Secretary of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board to "determine and implement the appropriate measures with respect to clarifying the status of collegiate athletes." This emphasizes the government's interest in defining employment status for college athletes rather than making a definitive ban on employment rights.
College sports leaders and several Republican lawmakers have been attempting for the past several years to block athletes from obtaining employee rights, citing financial concerns for athletic departments.
Trump's potential order would not explicitly ban employment but aligns with concerns that many athletic departments would struggle with the added costs that would result from recognizing athletes as employees.
The order, if signed, would establish a commission to support "the preservation of collegiate athletic opportunities," indicating an intention to maintain the current structure of college sports.
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