Congress Unveils Bipartisan College Sports Bills After NCAA Settlement
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Congress Unveils Bipartisan College Sports Bills After NCAA Settlement
Two bipartisan legislative efforts were introduced in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, June 10. Reps. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., introduced a bill that mirrors a recently circulated discussion draft. A federal judge’s final approval of a landmark antitrust settlement involving the NCAA and the Power Five conferences on June 6. The new legislation aims to enshrine into federal law key elements of the settlement, including provisions that would prevent college athletes from being classified as employees.
According to USA Today, two bipartisan legislative efforts were introduced in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, June 10, just days after the court approved the athlete-compensation settlement on June 6. Reps. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., introduced a bill that mirrors a recently circulated discussion draft spearheaded by Reps. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., and Brett Guthrie, R-Ky.
The new legislation aims to enshrine into federal law key elements of the settlement, including provisions that would prevent college athletes from being classified as employees of their schools, conferences, or governing athletic bodies—a contentious issue already at the center of a federal lawsuit in Pennsylvania.
Per USA Today, the Bilirakis-Guthrie draft is expected to take center stage at a June 11 hearing before a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which Bilirakis chairs. Guthrie leads the full committee, giving the bill a prominent legislative platform.
Read more: Attorneys in NCAA Antitrust Case Awarded $475M in Fees
This initiative continues McClain’s ongoing work in the college sports space. As House Republican Conference chair—the fourth-ranking position among House Republicans—McClain previously introduced a bill in April addressing the same employment classification concerns. Her new bipartisan proposal with Bynum signals some cross-party consensus on that issue.
Both the McClain-Bynum bill and the discussion draft would empower the NCAA, and potentially a new Collegiate Sports Commission, to establish operational rules governing athlete conduct and institutional policies. These bodies would also be granted a degree of legal immunity, protecting them from lawsuits over rules “reasonably contemplated” by the legislation.
According to USA Today, the discussion draft includes a placeholder section that may soon be filled with language offering antitrust and other legal protections tied to the enforcement of these new rules.
Additionally, both legislative efforts seek to mandate that most Division I schools offer athlete benefits already outlined by current NCAA and conference guidelines—though these benefits currently lack the backing of federal law.
Source: USA Today