College sports leaders continue to push for more consistency in an era of NIL and transfer portal changes.
University of Missouri Athletic Director Laird Veatch says legislation backed by Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt is a step in the right direction.
“It is a very, very tenuous time and really, really challenging, a lot of pressures for a lot of people. And without that kind of legal authority, it's just we can't even govern ourselves," Veatch says. "We can't put rules in place and continue to manage those without that kind of help.”
The growing cost of NIL and other changes in college athletics are creating financial challenges for schools across the country. Veatch says that's one reason he supports the act.
“I mean, there's a lot of challenges. Obviously, just the onset of NIL and the compensation era for student athletes, the pressures of that put pressure on everything else too, because we have to put so much focus and effort on driving that because that ultimately leads to winning and success," Veatch explains. "And without winning and success, the financial challenges get even worse, right?”
The Protect College Sports Act is designed to create consistent national standards for college athletics while giving schools more certainty as they navigate the NIL era. The bill has cleared a Senate committee and is awaiting consideration by the full U.S. Senate.
Missourinet