UNC chancellor Lee Roberts and athletic director Bubba Cunningham released a joint statement Monday morning in response to a recent executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at restoring “order, fairness and stability” to college athletics. The executive order, signed Friday, contained several stipulations, including “clear, consistent, and fair eligibility limits.”

Below is the full statement from Roberts and Cunningham:

At Carolina, we are committed to providing student-athletes across 28 varsity sports with the opportunity to compete at the highest level while earning a world-class education from the country’s first public university. As the landscape continues to evolve, it is essential that we establish greater clarity, consistency and sustainability across college athletics. To that end, we appreciate the continued support and engagement that President Trump and his administration have demonstrated with the recent executive order, “Urgent National Action to Save College Sports.”

We are encouraged by the growing national momentum toward thoughtful reform and remain supportive of efforts, including the SCORE Act, that aim to bring stability to this environment. Our focus remains on preserving broad-based athletic opportunities, strengthening the student-athlete experience and ensuring that Carolina Athletics continues to reflect the values of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

We look forward to working with national leaders, our ACC partners and peer institutions to help shape a future that benefits student-athletes at Carolina and across the country.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips released his own statement Saturday. Phillips had been part of a roundtable discussion on college sports with Trump earlier this year. In his statement, Phillips thanked the president and his administration for their “ongoing commitment to protecting college athletics” by issuing the executive order.

“We remain optimistic that the SCORE Act, which would provide stability to college sports, will pass the House of Representatives in the near future,” said Phillips.

 

Featured image via UNC-Chapel Hill/Jon Gardiner

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