U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) reintroduced the NCAA Accountability Act on Tuesday, which would “establish due process protections for student-athletes, coaches, and universities that are under investigation by the NCAA for rule violations.”
Blackburn’s bill, if enacted, would require the NCAA to provide its member universities with fair “notice regarding enforcement proceedings, including information about the status of the investigation, alleged violations being investigated, the involved individuals and programs, the potential penalties of each allegation, and the rights and resources available to the accused.”
The bill would also require the collegiate organization to complete any investigation no later than one year after it begins and prohibit the organization from publicly disclosing information relating to an ongoing investigation until formal charges are filed in the notice of allegations.
In regards to promoting “fairness, consistency, and accountability,” Blackburn’s bill would provide member universities the right to resolve disputes (over sanctions for bylaw infractions) with the NCAA through arbitration and requires the NCAA to conduct its enforcement proceedings and investigations in a “fair and consistent manner.”
Blackburn’s bill also addresses enforcement as it would direct the DOJ to establish supervisory and investigatory procedures to determine the NCAA’s compliance with the legislation. The DOJ would also have authority to order the removal of any member on the NCAA’s board of governors as well as fine the organization and members of its staff for violating the provisions of the bill.
Upon introduction, the 10-page bill (S.3739) was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and is cosponsored by Democrat U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).
“The NCAA’s history of backroom deliberations that produce unfair punishments for athletes, coaches, and universities has gone on long enough,” Blackburn said in a statement. “Student athletes work their entire lives to compete on the college stage, and we must ensure that they are properly compensated for their talents, not bogged down with frustrating investigations with an organization that continues to move the goal posts. The NCAA Accountability Act brings much-needed consistency and transparency to the NCAA, ensuring that everyone is operating under the same set of expectations for rule violations.”
Blackburn’s bill comes less than a week after Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares in filing an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA’s rule on name, image, likeness (NIL) after the organization opened an investigation into the University of Tennessee.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by Senator Marsha Blackburn.
