As chairman of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is working to bring student-athletes and institutions stability so they can better navigate the new era of college sports.
In fact, Sen. Cassidy says that the growing influence of money in college sports is hard to ignore, according to a March 27 op-ed he wrote in OutKick.
“Student-athletes can break out of poverty thanks to sports scholarships,” wrote Sen. Cassidy. “But today, that opportunity is at risk.
“I talk to athletes, coaches, students, parents, and fans who all say the same thing: college sports are a mess,” he added. “Court decisions, volatile rule changes, and a lack of leadership have created confusion and opened the door to exploitation. Student-athletes deserve a fair share of the revenue they help generate, but they shouldn’t have to navigate chaos to get it.”
In the op-ed, the lawmaker called on Congress to fix college athletics to protect students from exploitation.
“We have a responsibility to meet the moment, get off the sidelines, and get this right,” he wrote. “My committee is focused on finding a solution.”
On March 27, Sen. Cassidy led a full HELP Committee hearing with former student-athletes and university officials to discuss such potential ideas for reform.
“People love college sports,” said Sen. Cassidy during the hearing, at which several of the witnesses echoed his concerns for categorizing student-athletes as employees. “[A]s important as that is, student-athletes can change the trajectory of their life by participating in college athletics. But the current system is unsustainable.”
Sen. Cassidy on March 10 also hosted a roundtable on reforming college athletics to protect students and ensure their success. He was joined by a bipartisan group of senators, as well as several expert panelists, such as Jim Carr, president and CEO of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
“Instead of empowering student athletes, the current environment leaves them vulnerable to exploitation while threatening institutions that depend on athletics for survival. The future of college sports is at risk,” Sen. Cassidy said during his remarks. “Congress… must act to restore common sense and certainty to the college athletic landscape.”
The senator is also requesting information by April 10 from stakeholders on how Congress can address the challenge. Interested parties are invited to comment on issues such as compensation and benefits, protecting paid student-athletes, eligibility and academic experience, and student-athlete status.