As a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs baseball team, Colorado chancellor Justin Schwartz jokes that he’s always optimistic.
“I’m born with it, I’m committed to it,” Schwartz said with a laugh.
That optimism hasn’t always paid off as a Cubs fan, but Schwartz has genuine optimism about a new federal bill designed to solve some issues in the college sports industry.
The Protect College Sports Act, led by senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), would help bring stability to college athletics with national rules on NIL (name, image and likeness) compensation, transfers, media rights and more.
Although some details in the proposed bill could change, the Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 on Thursday to move the bipartisan bill to a full Senate vote.
“Our process, it seems arduous, but we usually end up where we need to go and maybe itap this bill and then another one down the road,” Schwartz told the Daily Camera, “but this first step is a key first step and I’m optimistic about the key first step.”
Schwartz and CU president Todd Saliman were both among several dozen administrators, board members, etc. around the country sent to lawmakers earlier this month.
“I don’t think itap a mystery to anybody that across the country, higher ed with D-I programs all agree – just about – that Congress needs to do something,” Schwartz said. “We can’t rely on 50 sets of state laws, we can’t rely on different court interpretations across the country. We need federal legislation. Thatap what the federal governmentap for.
“We also know that to get something done in this country, in any democracy really, requires compromise, and Cruz and Cantwell have come forward … to put together a great first step.”
College athletics have been through numerous changes in the past six years, including student-athletes being compensated through NIL and revenue sharing, unlimited transfer opportunities, conference realignment, and more. Throughout the changes, there has been a lack of national guidelines in many areas, which has led to significant challenges for many schools, including CU, to keep up financially and competitively in many sports.
“If I was emperor for a day, would it be exactly that bill? No, but anyone would say that,” Schwartz said. “But itap really important that the federal government take the first step to protect our student-athletes and to protect the integrity of the college sports enterprise. The unlimited portaling has so many ripple effects that are big. The unrestricted agents is really not good; I’ll just put it mildly.
“This bill begins to address those issues. It puts a structure and more legal backing to everything related to how we are doing NIL and the support for the student-athletes, which is really critical. Itap a really important first step. … We thought it was important that we would be not just supportive privately but publicly supportive of having something move forward.”
The two biggest conferences in the country, the Big Ten and SEC, have not put support behind the bill, but many in college athletics, including the Big 12 Conference, of which CU is a member, are behind it. The NFL, Major League Baseball and National Basketball Players Association have also publicly supported the bill.
“I hope that the more folks come out in support, the more it gains momentum,” Schwartz said. “Anytime anyone comes out in support, I think thatap a good thing.”
Schwartz, Saliman and many others are behind the bill because it could lead to national rules on transfers and eligibility; rules on recruiting and tampering of athletes; stabilization of NIL; sanctions against agents who take advantage of student-athletes; pooling of media rights revenue; and possibly prevent schools from having to cut Olympic sports.
“Itap an important foundation that really begins to address the most significant topics,” Schwartz said. “My hope is that when people assess the bill, they don’t compare it to their ideal, but they compare it to right now.”
Schwartz said he’s not necessarily “worried” about the future of college sports, but he believes there needs to be some regulation in important areas of the industry.
“At the 30,000-foot view, college sports I don’t think has ever been more popular,” he said. “Thatap part of the problem. When your biggest challenge is the impact of popularity, I don’t think thatap a cause for an existential worry.
“Itap just become a very different entity than it was even four or five years ago. And now we need the legislative support to make sure that it continues to be the strength of this country that itap always been. It is one of the big differentiators between US higher ed and any other country.”
