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Why Take Trump’s College Sports Order Seriously? The Money

The administration is happily taking everything universities are giving them

Author

Steve Ulrich
August 04, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

AUGUST 4, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH

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🏖️  Welcome to August. We’ve moved the office to Emerald Isle, N.C. this week. Highly recommend the Crystal Coast.

🗞️ In Today’s Edition. Why Take Trump’s College Sports Order Seriously? The Money. After Decades Competing in Football, Jeff Thorne is in the Battle of His Life Against Cancer. Soccer - Active Coaching Wins. And … Midwest Sea Shanties.

🗓️ What’s Happening Today. The NCAA Division III Presidents Council holds a virtual meeting today at 11 a.m. ET

TOP STORY
1. Why Take Trump’s College Sports Order Seriously? The Money

by Nick Beadle, Extra Points

“The Trump Administration has achieved a unique advantage over America’s four-year universities, one that makes its executive order “saving college sports” more potent than you may realize.

America’s universities are providing the second Trump administration a ton of cushion to avoid a killing blow to the federal dollars upon which they have become dependent. The administration is happily taking everything universities are giving them, offering an awful lot of leverage to get significant and painful changes through last week’s executive order. The “saving college sports” executive order opens up another front where university leaders can give up yards and points in hopes that they won’t lose quite so badly.”

» Why It Matters. “I know of organizations that have not fought back because they’re afraid the administration will spike every single last grant they apply for in the future. Those concerns may be realistic for four-year colleges, given that federal funding accounts for 10 to 20 percent of some universities’ budgets. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s changes to federal financial aid will make it harder for students to attend four-year colleges, which likely will add to the revenue downturns universities face from the enrollment cliff and dwindling state funding streams.”

» Good News? “The administration is fighting too many battles, and I think it’s starting to show for some of the agencies involved. The administration has gutted the career staff that usually make initiatives like this work, and it already distrusted this staff to carry too much of the weight of these decisions.”

» Yes, But. “If any administration is going to respond to the wealthy university donors that underwrite college football, it’s probably this one. Big-money boosters may not care much about grants for the biology department, but they definitely care about keeping five stars, and they’re more likely to have the number of the right person in the Trump administration to convince them to back off.”

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NEWS
2. ‘You Keep Fighting’: After Decades Competing in Football, Jeff Thorne is in the Battle of His Life Against Cancer

by Dave Oberhelman, Daily Herald

“If there’s anyone built to handle a threatening prognosis, it’s Jeff Thorne.

Steeped in faith and pressured on football fields since he was an all-state quarterback at Wheaton Central High School under his father, John Thorne — whom Jeff Thorne later succeeded as head coach at North Central College, leading the Cardinals to the 2019 Division III championship — the 53-year-old is tackling his greatest challenge.

After a litany of ailments spanning more than three years, earlier this year the Naperville resident, a husband and father of three, was diagnosed with Stage 4 gastric cancer.”

» The Bottom Line. “You keep fighting, that’s what you do,” said Thorne, who since retiring as Western Michigan University’s offensive coordinator following the 2022 season has been in sales with GoRout, a company that produces coach-to-player communications devices.”

» Why It Matters. “A man who follows only Jimmy Garoppolo, Sean Payton and Tony Romo in both passing yardage and total offense at Eastern Illinois University, and is a member of the Wheaton Warrenville South Athletic Hall of Fame, Thorne has surmounted challenges before.”

» Quotable. “We’re going to find something that works,” he said. “This is a setback, but the way we see it is setbacks are a setup for comebacks.”

RECORDS
3. Soccer - Active Coaching Wins

Men’s Soccer - Active DIII Coaching Wins

  1. Paul McGinlay, Trinity TX, 571-96-47

  2. Jon Anderson, Babson, 471-202-94

  3. Erick Baumann, Dominican, 463-119-50

  4. Pepe Fernandez, Maryville, 421-195-52

  5. Lenny Armuth, Drew, 405-156-60

  6. Brent Ridenour, Franciscan, 354-140-49

  7. Kevin East, Rutgers-Newark, 345-188-47

  8. Shawn Griffin, Hobart, 342-192-67

  9. Bob Carlson, Carleton, 307-153-53

  10. Brad McCarty, Messiah, 300-26-21

Women’s Soccer - Active DIII Coaching Wins

  1. Todd Olsen, Lynchburg, 505-126-62

  2. Scott Frey, Messiah, 496-33-37

  3. Amy Reifert, Chicago, 424-159-58

  4. Mindy Quigg, Ithaca, 401-131-67

  5. Phil Benne, Roanoke, 384-243-63

  6. Luigi Scire, Webster, 380-116-24

  7. Jim Conlon, Washington U., 354-101-38

  8. Melissa Lamie, Grove City, 372-222-45

  9. Gail Mann, Nazareth, 369-167-78

  10. David Brown, Wooster, 365-193-67

NEWS YOU CAN USE
4. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

» Compliance. The 2025-26 NCAA Division III Manual is now available on LSDBi and the Legislative Actions and Issues page.

» Brand Identity. “Pomona-Pitzer Athletics proudly announces the launch of a refreshed brand identity that honors its storied legacy while signaling a new era for the Sagehens. The comprehensive rebrand introduces a suite of updated visual elements, including a modernized primary logo, a streamlined secondary mark, a bold script wordmark, and revitalized vintage logos.”

TRANSACTIONS
5. Comings and Goings 

1 SUMMER THING
6. Midwest Sea Shanties

“On a sweltering summer day in mid-July, over 120 strangers crammed into an Irish pub with pints of Guinness in hand to sing an unusual tune for a landlocked state: a sea shanty.

The big picture: For over 15 years, a group of Minnesotans have been convening at Twin Cities pubs, parks and patios for Shanty Sings — dedicated spaces to sing traditional folk songs about oceans, lakes, fishing and other water-related topics.

This group has no official name, little online presence and, outside of the people who create the Facebook events, no leaders — its existence is spread by word of mouth and by those who happen upon the Sings in search of a pint.”

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