NCAA President Charlie Baker said the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) addresses challenges college sports currently face.
On Sunday, Baker, the former Republican Massachusetts Governor, appeared on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing to discuss college sports and the PCSA, which Congress is considering.
The PCSA would establish rules for college athletic eligibility, revenue sharing, conferences, media rights, Title IX, scholarships, name, image, and likeness, and antitrust.
Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced the PCSA.
The Senate is expected to take a final vote on the bill this week, which seeks to regulate college sports. Baker said he thought the PCSA had a “good chance” of passing the U.S. Senate after the bill passed 74-24 by cloture.
If the bill passes the Senate, the PCSA would not be considered until November, when the House returns after its break for the upcoming midterm elections.
According to Baker, the challenges college sports face involve players who sign professional contracts and then try to return, different nationwide court rulings on player eligibility, unregistered agents, and establishing competitive balance.
The NCAA president said the PCSA addresses these issues.
Regarding player eligibility, Baker said any athletes over the age of 24 will no longer be able to compete in college athletics. The PCSA includes the NCAA’s new eligibility rule that limits college athletes’ eligibility to up to five years within a five-year period.
The eligibility clock starts when athletes enroll full-time in college or turn 19, whichever comes first.
During the interview, host Peter Doocy asked Baker about a recent Wall Street Journal piece detailing how college athletes are buying real estate, including Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who bought a $1.9 million home in Oxford, Mississippi.
Baker said he had no issue with athletes buying these properties.
College athletes have been able to make money since 2021, after the NCAA changed its rules following the Supreme Court’s NCAA v. Alston decision that the NCAA broke antitrust law by restricting specific education-related benefits.
Last week, the NCAA called for the PCSA to pass.
“College athletes from all three divisions, all across the country, support the PCSA because, according to them, only Congress can deliver the targeted intervention necessary to ensure college sports continues to thrive,” NCAA Senior Vice President of External Affairs Tim Buckley said.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected].
Photo “Charlie Baker” by Charlie Baker.
