U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today said that there is a "50-50 chance of Congress passing legislation that would provide antitrust protection and regulation to college athletics in the U.S. by the end of the year." Cruz speaking after he hosted a roundtable discussion on NIL "lowered his previous estimate of 60-40 of a bill getting through before the election in November," and said that he and his counterparts are "running out of time." Cruz believes that something "will eventually get done to standardize how athletes can be compensated" for their NIL and to give the NCAA and college conferences the "ability to govern college sports without the constant threat of lawsuits and state laws undercutting their authority" (AP, 3/12).
Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban during the roundtable discussion "advocated for revenue-sharing for college athletes," as he "believes a reform model that would make the athletes employees of universities is the wrong path for the future of college sports." Saban said, "You could create a better quality of life for student athletes, you could still emphasize development, personal, academic, brand, and athletic development, with a system like that. And it would be equal in all institutions. Somebody couldn't go out and raise more money at one school to create a competitive advantage over another." Alabama AD Greg Byrne agreed with Saban in "warning against the employment model," noting the "tax burden that would be placed on athletes for the benefits they receive from universities if they became employees." He also said that non-revenue Olympic sports "could potentially be cut" (TUSCALOOSA NEWS, 3/12).
