• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
The Best Employers in Sports survey is open through Nov. 6 Learn More

The NCAA Puts the Future of Amateurism In Congress’ Hands

  • The NCAA Transformation Committee punted on recommendations for NIL and athlete compensation reform.
  • Instead, it assembled a strategy geared at lobbying Congress to give it the authority it desires.
Jenna Watson/IndyStar

Last year, the NCAA ratified a new constitution and created a committee to “modernize” college sports while addressing threats to amateurism and the unregulated NIL world.

But after a year of deliberating, the Division I Transformation Committee has punted. The NCAA’s new strategy is lobbying Congress to make rules for it.

“The goal … is to educate and motivate congress to work with us to create a clear, fair, and stable legal framework through which these important issues can be adequately addressed,” SEC Commissioner and committee co-chair Greg Sankey told reporters on Tuesday. 

From routine spending on lobbyists to in-person meetings on Capitol Hill, the NCAA isn’t new to political posturing. But this year, the governing body will funnel more sources into it than ever.

  • The Constitution and Transformation committees mulled how the NCAA could regulate NIL and whether athlete compensation could be altered. But ultimately, neither made solid decisions.
  • Instead, the Transformation Committee designated a new group, called the “Board of Governors Subcommittee on Congressional Engagement,” as a liaison between the governing body and federal lawmakers.
  • The group will “lead the NCAA’s strategy for engaging, motivating and collaborating with Congress over the coming year,” according to the Transformation Committee’s report.
  • The NCAA has also hired Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, who has experience building bipartisan coalitions — a skill the NCAA said it valued.

Sankey said the strategy is motivated because “the NCAA lacks the legal authority to address some of these elements at present.” 

But the reality is less that the NCAA can’t make decisions on its own, but more that outside entities could impose decisions the NCAA doesn’t want.

The NLRB Is Going After The NCAA’s Amateurism Model

It will investigate whether USC, the Pac-12, and NCAA violated labor law.
December 15, 2022

This year, two outside entities could kill amateurism. An NLRB case and a private lawsuit called Johnson v. NCAA could unilaterally designate certain athlete employees — giving them the rights to everything from collective bargaining power and worker’s compensation to wages.

While in much earlier stages, a lawsuit called House v. NCAA could redefine NIL, forcing conferences and the NCAA to split media rights revenue with players for the first time.

So while NCAA lawyers battle these issues behind the scenes, the governing body is clearly hoping Congress will first usurp these issues. But between the multitude of proposed NCAA legislation that has been largely ignored and the current disarray in Congress, it’s unclear whether that strategy will yield any results.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Nov 2, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney reacts during the fourth quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Memorial Stadium.

Dabo Swinney Encounters Voting Mixup on Election Day

“They done voted me out of the state, lost a game,” Swinney joked.

On the Ballot: Sports Betting, Former Athletes Impacting the 2024 Election

Several U.S. Senate candidates have sports backgrounds, while Missouri voters will consider legalizing sports betting.

ESPN’s Jason Kelce Avoids Discipline After Viral Fan Confrontation

The dust continues to settle from Jason Kelce’s viral confrontation.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

NFL Teams Face Crossroads at Season’s Halfway Point

0:00

Featured Today

NFL Center Connor McGovern Is the Heir to a Potato Empire

The NFL vet’s family provides potatoes for McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and others.
Vanderbilt Commodores fans head to the south end zone as the goal post is taken down by exuberant fans after beating No. 1 Alabama 40-35 at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
opinion
November 2, 2024

Something New in College Football This Year: Parity

Upsets, surprises. CFB is more fun on the field than the NFL.
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump waves flanked by former Georgia Bulldogs player Herschel Walker, recording art Kid Rock, professional golfer John Daily, Alabama senators Tommy Tuberville (R) and Katie Britt (R) during the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
November 1, 2024

Mission Swing State: College Football’s Political Advertising Battle

Trump, Harris, and the PACs that support them are utilizing the sport.
October 31, 2024

The Untapped Revenue ‘Powder Keg’ of Women’s NFL Fandom

There’s a “boatload” of money at stake for brands and the league.

New Era, New Chaos? New CFP Team Rankings Explained

The new College Football Playoff system’s complexities might confuse some college football fans.
Apr 1, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) drives to the basket during the second half against UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) in the finals of the Portland Regional of the NCAA Tournament at the Moda Center.
November 4, 2024

Women’s College Basketball Begins Its Star-Studded Post–Caitlin Clark Era

Women outdrew the men in the championship with 18.9 million viewers.
Oct 4, 2024; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) is introduced to the fans during Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
November 4, 2024

All Eyes on Cooper Flagg As College Basketball Tips Off

He makes his NCAA debut with Duke on Monday.
Sponsored

World Series Delivers High-Demand Marquee Matchup

The hype around the World Series matchup drove ticket prices to record levels—but the Dodgers’ dominance quickly quieted the fervor.
Donald Trump
November 4, 2024

ESPN Will Drop First 12-Team CFP Rankings in Heart of Election Night

The network traditionally hasn’t shied away from going up against election coverage.
Eastern New Mexico forward Jose Murillo (33) passes the ball between Grand Canyon University forward Sammie Yeanay (23) and guard Makaih Williams (2) during an exhibition game at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix on Oct. 29, 2024.
November 1, 2024

Grand Canyon University to Join Mountain West in 2026

The Mountain West has added three new schools after the Pac-12 poached five from the conference.
November 1, 2024

Olympic Sport College Coaches Hire Lobbyists Amid NCAA Upheaval

The NCAA and power conferences have spent millions on an effort to preserve amateurism.
The Fox Big Noon Kickoff crew broadcasts from the endzone prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
October 31, 2024

ESPN-Fox Pregame Battle in Focus at Ohio State–Penn State

Fox has the game broadcast at noon ET.