Questions about whether President Donald Trump will issue an executive order to address name, image and likeness standards in college sports after media reports surfaced he was working on one earlier this week.
Following a 2021 Supreme Court ruling, student athletes have been allowed to profit from their publicity with sponsorship deals. The change has drastically changed the landscape of collegiate sports, and college sports leaders have repeatedly met with lawmakers to push for federal standards and guidelines.
CBS News reported on July 15 that Trump was planning to sign an executive order in the following days to establish those standards. Front Office Sports and Yahoo! Sports also reported the order was in the works.
This is not the first time reports have surfaced on Trump’s plans to address NIL, and the U.S. House of Representatives is working on legislation known as the SCORE Act. The White House did not comment on the media reports, and USA TODAY Sports reported college leaders did not have knowledge of an imminent order.
But whatever new laws or regulations come into fruition on NIL for student athletes, the consequences could hit close to home for the president. Trump’s eldest granddaughter, Kai Trump, is a young golf star and future college athlete with her own NIL deals. Here is what to know:
More: College sports leaders unaware of Donald Trump’s plan for executive order addressing NIL
What is NIL?
The acronym stands for name, image and likeness. NIL deals protect student athletes’ rights to earn money from their publicity and sometimes includes a big-name brand endorsement, like Kai Trump’s.
Until a historic 2021 Supreme Court decision that led to an NCAA rule change, the NCAA didn’t allow student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.
An array of state laws have been passed to regulate it, but college sports leaders have pushed for federal intervention.
Who is Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump?
Kai Trump, 18, is President Trump’s eldest granddaughter, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and ex-wife Vanessa Trump.
Kai Trump made her political debut at the Republican National Convention ahead of the 2024 election, talking up the human side to her grandfather, who she said calls her to check in on her golf game.
She is a rising senior at The Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. She has committed to playing golf at the University of Miami after graduating.
Does Kai Trump have a NIL deal?
Yes, she has a few brand partnerships.
On July 15, Kai announced a new partnership with Accelerator Active Energy. In February, Kai announced her first lucrative endorsement deal with big-name golf equipment company TaylorMade.
On3, a website that rates high school and college athletes, valued her name, image and likeness (NIL) at more than $1.2 million. The valuation makes her No. 1 in women’s high school golf and No. 98 among high school and college athletes’ valuation, according to On3.
Her recent announcement with Accelerator energy drinks, where Travis Kelce is also a brand ambassador, was presidential-themed in a nod to her grandfather. She later went on “Fox & Friends” to announce the new deal.
“He really just taught me to keep on fighting and keep on practicing and whatnot,” Kai said in the interview, according to Golfweek. “I’ve loved playing golf with him my whole life. It’s the reason that we share a special bond together.”
Contributing: Tom Schad, Matt Hayes, Jennifer Sangalang, Eric J. Wallace, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Kai Trump? POTUS granddaughter gets NIL deal amid fed lawmaking
