NGBs believe they meet the criteria for the rescue package, including having fewer than 500 employeesGETTY IMAGES
Sports NGBs are "seeking help from the one place they didn’t get it before: the U.S. government," as bodies under the USOPC’s purview are asking for "government help on their own, in an effort to stem the tide of furloughs, layoffs and program cuts," according to Rachel Bachman of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The federal economic-rescue package "allows certain employers to apply for loans to cover payroll, rent and utilities," and NGBs "believe they meet the criteria, including having fewer than 500 employees, and they’re seeking or plan to seek aid alongside tens of thousands of other businesses and nonprofits." U.S. Biathlon Association President & CEO and USOPC NGB Council Chair Max Cobb said, “I think every NGB will apply. I know some of them are still struggling with getting all the documents needed together.” Bachman noted the recent postponement of the Tokyo Games to July '21 has "mangled U.S. Olympic sports’ typical funding model." Congress "declined a request from the USOPC to grant the NGBs and athletes" $200M as part of the roughly $2T rescue package passed last month. Cobb said that the "government loans can be for up to" $10M, though most NGBs are "eligible for less than that." Bachman reported separately, athlete leaders are "encouraging aspiring Olympians to apply directly for unemployment compensation under a program in the federal rescue package for workers who don’t have a traditional employer" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/12).
