NCAA president Charlie Baker and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti are slated to testify before the Senate next week to weigh in on how college sports will be regulated going forward.
According to ESPN, Baker and other college administrators have asked legislatures to write federal law that would all the NCAA to regulate how athletes make money and, in turn, protect the association from legal challenges.
NCAA president Charlie Baker and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti are slated to testify before the Senate next week to weigh in on how college sports will be regulated going forward.
According to ESPN, Baker and other college administrators have asked legislatures to write federal law that would all the NCAA to regulate how athletes make money and, in turn, protect the association from legal challenges.
A legislative aide told ESPN that no other witnesses beyond Baker and Petitti have been confirmed as of Tuesday.
Related: Student-Athletes Urge Congress for More Federal Guidance
The NCAA, along with member schools, have asked Congress to create rules for how athletes can make money through NIL. They are also asking for a law that would codify that student-athletes are not employees of the school, which would offer the association protection from antitrust lawsuits.
At least five different bills or drafts of bills addressing NIL have been proposed by members of Congress, but none of them have made it past the preliminary stage of discussion.
Related: Antitrust Lawsuit Against NCAA, Conferences Granted Class-Action Status
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said he doesn't believe a law will be passed, and he's hopeful the NCAA will see to solving its own problems.
"It doesn't feel like they're making much progress," Murphy said in a September interview. "It feels to me like they're hoping Congress fixes this problem for them. I think that's very unlikely. Congress has bigger things to worry about."
