I introduced legislation this week that would establish a Presidential Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Reform. This blue ribbon commission of members of Congress and sport and education experts would objectively identify and study concerns related to the intercollegiate athletic system and offer recommendations for reform. Recent scandals involving intercollegiate athletics programs at a number of the nation’s most prestigious institutions reveal the absence of policy and practice that would ensure a level of academic integrity, athlete welfare, and financial soundness appropriate for non-profit institutions of higher education. We must give our universities and membership associations the tools they need to sustain a healthy intercollegiate athletic program that benefits the university and protects its student athletes. The challenges of reform are so complex and important to higher education that a blue ribbon commission of experts and members of Congress should be convened to objectively study these concerns and offer recommendations for reform. As a former college athlete, I am deeply concerned about the welfare of our student athletes and the sustainability of our college sports programs. Despite piecemeal efforts at reform, we still see gaps that leave our student athletes vulnerable, whether through due process or appropriate health protections. The graduation rates of players in the Football Bowl Subdivision are still twenty points below their male campus peers and worsened in the past three years. We have a system now where in 40 states, the highest paid public employee is the state university’s head football or basketball coach and yet only 20 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision have athletic departments with revenue exceeding expenses. In fact, most schools are losing money. The average loss among the Power 5 conferences was $2.3 million in 2013 and universities are pulling a larger percentage of institutional funds to cover the loss. We know our intercollegiate athletic system is broken. Scandal after scandal in the news continues to undermine our faith in the integrity of the intercollegiate athletic system. It’s time to put our experts together and put us on the path to tangible reforms.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 00:51:38 +0000
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