
I wouldn't be surprised at all if we got something out of Congress that said these kids aren't employees." When people see a very serious threat to a system they enjoy so much, they'll put political pressure on. "The college sports political lobby is extremely powerful. "This is one (hearing) where their re-election could be impacted by what they do," Roberts said. The power of congressional scrutiny was on display three days ago when the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing on the unionization effort of Northwestern football players.īesides various testimonies criticizing the movement, committee chair John Kline, R-Minn., said collective bargaining is "absolutely not" the answer. "Any outside pressure brings sunshine to the process, and that usually makes the NCAA do something because if there's one thing for certain, it's that the NCAA doesn't like to be embarrassed." "The NCAA never moves to make any significant change until there is outside pressure," said David Ridpath, an associate professor of sports administration at Ohio University, who testified to Congress in 2004 on NCAA enforcement and infractions. The BCS ended after the 2013 season, giving way to this year's first College Football Playoff. Three years ago, the Justice Department informed the NCAA that it was conducting an antitrust inquiry of the BCS. The House Energy and Commerce Committee held hearings in 2009 concerning the much-criticized Bowl Championship Series, and President Barack Obama said then he favored a playoff in Division I college football. "The world starts talking about it, and then the bill goes away because the world makes the change itself." "Oftentimes you have a piece of legislation made out, and you have constituents come in and testify on it," Beatty said.
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Senate testimony is also expected to be heard from Ramogi Huma, the leader of the unionization effort by Northwestern football players, and Ed O'Bannon, the lead plaintiff in a federal antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA that is scheduled to go to trial on June 9. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that NCAA president Mark Emmert is expected to be invited to testify. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will hold hearings focused on the welfare of college athletes. Nothing is said at these hearings that they don't already know." "They have hearings for the political theater of it, but not the substance. "Most of what Congress does is grandstanding," said Gary Roberts, retired dean of the Indiana University McKinney School of Law, who has testified on Capitol Hill about college sports reform. In 2006, the House Ways and Means Committee asked the NCAA to justify its tax-exempt status, and the Senate Finance Committee examined whether the NCAA was abusing its tax exemption. Since 1965, Congress has held about 30 formal hearings on college sports and produced 17 reports, but it has never passed legislation to regulate the NCAA. Interest in college sports, however, is nothing new for the nation's lawmakers.
