Exclusive | Trump is gearing up to fix the name, image and likeness mess thats dogging college sports: sources

President Trump is poised to issue an executive order to fix the controversial “name, image and likeness” model for college sports sponsorship deals – a multibillion-dollar cash grab that critics claim has become a tax on US higher education, On The Money has learned.The White House and the Justice Department are working off a draft EO that addresses business practices that have upended college sports, diverting resources away from academics and sparking increased student fees, critics say. The order – expected to be released within the next few weeks, according to insiders – will likely include spending caps for schools looking to woo student athletes with lucrative endorsement deals. There will also be reforms to the so-called transfer portal system, which currently allows student athletes to act like free agents and jump to numerous schools during their college career as they chase dollars, the sources said.The EO will likewise address concerns that the NIL ecosystem favors a few high-profile sports – namely big-time college football and basketball – at the expense of Olympic and female athletes, according to insiders.The reforms listed in the EO will not touch student athletes doing promotions with legitimate third-party businesses – just those that involve the university, the sources said.A White House press rep had no immediate comment.Observers say the EO will not and cannot be the final word on reforming the NIL system given some of the complex legal issues involved.Those include antitrust issues concerning the NCAA possibly “suppressing” athlete compensation through any reform of the system.As a result, House speaker Mike Johnson is expected to push through legislation on the entire issue, sometime in the coming weeks I am told.

Texas GOP Senator Ted Cruz is pushing for reforms as are Democrat Sens.Maria Cantwell of Washington and Republican Eric Schmitt of Missouri.  Other Dems such as senators Cory Booker of New Jersey and Chris C...