Donald Trump hosts Greg Sankey, Pete Bevacqua to golf, explore involvement in college sports

President Donald Trump is set to meet with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua in a golf outing. Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported that the three are expected to discuss the future of college athletics as President Trump explores involvement in the industry.

The golf outing is set to take place at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey. The President was in attendance at UFC 316 in Newark, NJ Saturday night.

“The significance of the meeting cannot be overstated,” Dellenger wrote. “It comes two days after a California judge granted approval of a landmark legal settlement (House) that further evolves major college athletics into a more professionalized entity where schools will directly compensate athletes. The two men attending the Trump meeting hold significant decision-making power …

“The three men are expected to spend extended time together beyond their round of golf as NCAA leaders seek Congressional and White House assistance for a federal standard to stabilize and regulate what’s become an unruly structure. Trump has grown interested in the issues, even deeply exploring the possibility of issuing an executive order and creating a commission to study the many developments — such as player movement in the transfer portal, booster-backed compensation to athletes, and the impact on women and Olympic sports.”

Dellenger reported President Trump’s meeting with Sankey and Bevacqua could ultimately lead to action from the White House or even expedite Congressional negotiations over college sports legislation. The president created a commission and selected a chair group that would oversee the look to solve the issues in college athletics. President Trump even wanted to tap former Alabama head coach Nick Saban to lead the charge. The commission work was paused two weeks ago.

All of this is on the heels of the House Settlement which now allows colleges and universities to directly pay their athletes. It was a near $3 billion settlement.

The settlement also imposes new restrictions on college sports. An NIL clearinghouse will be established, titled “NIL Go” and run through Deloitte. All third-party NIL deals of $600 or more must be approved by the clearinghouse. 

If not approved, the settlement says a new third-party arbiter could deem athletes ineligible or result in a school being fined. In a gathering at the ACC spring meetings last week, Deloitte officials reportedly shared that 70% of past deals from NIL collectives would have been denied, while 90% of past deals from public companies would have been approved.