Among the many questions regarding what the world will look like under a second Trump

presidency, the simplest one to answer is whether the sports world will be impacted (spoiler alert:

it will be). There is no doubt that after four years of little interconnectedness between the sports

world and the Biden administration (aside from the usual championship team’s visit), the next

Trump administration presents an opportunity to mix sports and politics again, for better or

worse.

During the first Trump administration the sports world was vocal about his administration, but

otherwise untouched by the White House. We saw teams decline invitations to visit the White

House (the 2016 UNC Men’s basketball team for example), while many others were not invited

entirely (the 2017 Minnesota Lynx, 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors). Athletes were more

vocal about their political beliefs, leading to a viral Fox News host’s rejection of LeBron James,

suggesting he “shut up and dribble.” Like many workplaces with their employees, certain teams

embraced their athletes speaking out, while others tried to persuade their athletes to focus on the

game and leave politics aside.

We can expect more of the same for the next four years as athletes continue to use social media

as their soap box to sound off against a political figure they may disagree with and his policies.

We can also expect supporters of Trump in sports to become more vocal following an election in

which he not only won the electoral college, but also the popular vote for the first time in his

three campaigns. Broncos strong safety T.J. Ward tweeted in support of Trump immediately after

Fox News announced Trump was projected to win the election. Harrison Butker was also

supportive of Trump during his campaign and Bryson DeChambeau and Dana White appeared

with Trump onstage at his rallies.

However, a second Trump administration is also likely to have a more direct impact on the

sports world. Rory McIlroy, announced he thought Trump had the ability to help finalize a deal

between LIV Golf and the PGA that has been pending since mid-2023. Trump himself has stated

that he was interested in seeing one tour with all the top players and has close connections with

both the PGA and LIV Golf.

The NCAA will likely be the biggest sports winner of Trump’s second term and Republican’s

control of the Senate. The NCAA has been trying for years to get Congress to pass a law that will

prevent student-athletes from being deemed employees as well as giving the NCAA antitrust

exemption. Ted Cruz, one of the NCAA’s biggest supporters in D.C., will likely head the Senate

Commerce Committee next year. He has said college sports are a major priority for him.

Yet to be seen is how Trump’s deportation initiatives will impact other nation’s participation in

the upcoming 2026 World Cup, where the United States will host alongside Mexico and Canada.

Will we see Mexico or other Latin-American countries protest? Will they refuse to play entirely?

Lastly, a major topic of the race for the White House was Trans-rights. The next four years will

be dominated by a Republican Executive branch, Legislative branch, and a Conservative

majority in the Supreme Court. Will we see more laws focused on gender-identity and sports?

Will the courts be packed with fights over incoming legislation in states that mirror Florida’s

Transgender Athlete Bill?

One thing is clear. If you believe the next four years will be a turning point for many parts of

our society, you can certainly include sports in the conversation.

Michael Moore is a graduate of New York Law School and former member of the school’s Sports Law Society. When he’s not working at the New York Law Department he is thinking about the intersection of sports and law and when the Knicks or Rangers will finally win a championship.