Donald Trump claimed that Kai Trump will be fine, but women’s sports are in trouble -Credit:2025 Getty Images
(2025 Getty Images)
President Donald Trump has claimed that women’s sports are in “deep trouble” – but joked his granddaughter Kai Trump means the University of Miami golf team is the exception.
Trump has made it clear he wants to change college sports and has slammed the massive spending in men’s football. Trump shares a close relationship with legendary head coach Nick Saban, who opposes the modern NIL changes and believes they’ve altered the traditions of the game before athletes turn pro.
While Trump has received support for making college sports sustainable, he has also threatened that several programs are already in trouble. On Friday, during a Saving College Sports Roundtable at the White House, Trump claimed that women’s sports are struggling, despite participation reaching a record high, and an analysis by McKinsey showing women’s sports revenue grew 4.5 times faster than men’s sports between 2022 and 2024.
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“Women’s sports are being canceled all over the country,” Trump said. “Women’s sports are in DEEP TROUBLE — other than ONE particular woman’s team.
“That’s Miami, where I have my granddaughter (Kai Trump) on the team. They canceled men’s golf, but women’s golf is doing just fine. I’m only kidding.
“But, they are canceling golf, they’re canceling wrestling, they’re canceling fencing, even basketball. I thought that may be immune, but that’s in trouble.”
Kai Trump has committed to Miami’s golf program, but there is currently no men’s golf team. Several women’s college sports programs have been impacted in recent times, with Iowa State canceling its gymnastics program this month.
While certain sports and colleges may be facing hardship, the overall landscape of women’s sports is exciting. During the 2024-25 academic year, 242,341 student-athletes competed across NCAA women’s championships and emerging sports, a 14 percent increase from the past decade.
In addition, 46 billion minutes of women’s sports were consumed in the U.S. in 2025. Most major women’s sports are experiencing exponential growth, specifically in basketball.
Trump held a college sports roundtable on Friday -Credit:Getty Images
The WNBA is experiencing an unprecedented era and will expand to 18 teams by 2030 with a major surge of interest, revenue, and exposure driving the sport. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers have helped grow the league, but they all made a name for themselves in college.
TV ratings for women’s college basketball averaged 280,000 viewers in 2024-25, the highest in almost two decades. Several games drew more than 1 million viewers, and March Madness was the third-most-watched in history.
Clark’s final collegiate game for Iowa, a loss to South Carolina in the national championship game, drew a record-breaking 18.9 million viewers, peaking at 24.1 million. It was the first time that the women’s championship game drew more viewers than the men’s finale.
It was also the third-most-watched basketball game, college or professional, in the U.S. since 2019. With more participation, views, and exposure, women’s sports are also receiving more investment than ever before.