See spent your unfiltered view of politics. The president of the ncaa Charlie Baker joined the commissioner of the big ten tony National Former team gymnast Trinity Thomas and others to testify on compensation for College Athletes. For the use of their name, image and likeness for they testify before the Senate Judiciary committee advocating for a federal standard. And discussing the need for transparency and equity. [background noises] the hearing of the Judiciary Committee is called to order. Please take your seats. And welcome to all of our witnesses. I am very grateful to my colleague senator durbin for giving me this opportunity to chair the hearing. And we wish him a very, very speedy recovery. He evidently had knee surgery. I believe it may have been because of a College Sports injury. And i do not know exactly all of the details of his stork prayer list. Ive seen him in the senate jim. All of you know our colleague senator booker who is truly a College Athlete star and very knowledgeable on this topic and a partner with me a longstanding efforts to reform the system i want to thank Ranking Member senator graham who has been very interested and involved in this issue im going to put in the record a statement from chairman durbin before i began my remarks. We all know today that this system of College Athletes is in need of reform. That is why you are here. It is in need of reform now. Which is why we are here. Then system, all too long and often has been exploited and a piece of financially emotionally physically. And we have had a number of hearings and other committees. The Commerce Committee as well as this one. I am hopeful this very impressive Bipartisan Group of witnesses can help to guide us toward specific steps with a sense of urgency that is appropriate for this kind of problem. The system very simply has been far more focused on profits and protecting students. It has failed to safeguard them against the abusive and often exploitive system that takes advantage of their blood, sweat, tears in creating a 16 billiondollar industry. Make no mistake it is a 16 billion or more industry that is fueled by the blood, sweat, tears of these athletes. And all too often they failed to benefit from it. Many states have passed in il legislation. The Supreme Court has ruled nins forced in the sense a day of reckoning. I believe strongly we need a National Standard for name, image, likeness. Mainly to protect the athletes against potential disreputable agents or unscrupulous deals. In a race to the bottom monks a patchwork of states. Protect the school its unfair competition but also the athletes themselves. The standard is what brings us here today and a very immediate sense. Student athletes are better off now than they were. Many of your organizations recognize the need for b change. Charliean baker the head of the outline the reforms they have taken voluntarily. We have already and heard alarming examples of the instances of exploitation and abuse. Every year at least two College Football players. Of heatstroke. Just three bucks ago from midamerica nazarene and kansas found in the locker room after football practice suffering a seizure with the body temperature of 108 degrees. He never recovered and died a week later. Heatstroke is one of the most gruesome ways toer die. Its horrible. Its absolutely preventable. These deaths are product of bullying, win at all costs culture that is far too common and Athletic Department. That culture creates the condition that cost thees livesf talented young men and women. It fostered the abusive hazings thatss weve seen at baylor, northwestern and jose state and elsewhere. In the past years has failed to address this abuse as quickly and effectively as it should have. I agree we should set a strong National Standard we ought to enshrine it and federal law enforceable. Not just put in the statute. But make sure it is enforceable. Senator booker and i have proposed an athletes bill of rights. Or through some other means. As importantly as an il though, it we need to address enforceable health and Safety Standards. Much more broadly and comprehensively. We need to ensure College Athletes are able to get an education and return for their blood, sweat, tears. In july i was proud to announce a draft bipartisan bill was senator booker and senator moran. The College Athletes protection and compensation act. Our draft legislation would establish a strong National Standard. It would also protect the wellbeing and educational success of student athletes. Our student athletes rightss package what set health and Safety Standards to protect College Athletes from serious injury. Mistreatment, abuse, and even death. It would guarantee tuition and aid to student athletes to have a severe ending injury or cut front seat would establish a medical trust fund to help healthcare for longterm injuriesle resulting from collee athletes participation in sports and would bring transparency to the end il market in two College Athlete program. We talk about these kind of reforms for more than a decade its time for action is now. Their lives ongoing. Careers are at stake. Individuals who really need to deserve this kind of protection and i am very grateful to senator durbin and the committee for addressing this topic and i would like to turn now to the Ranking Member. Thank you center blumenthal. We are hoping senator durbin time will get back soon were not shortest time will be after the case i want to run 40 i dont know what it takes. Going to try to get set or bookers number and put it online to see if we can make a little money. But many were number were you . Eightyone. We meet today with the world on fire. To my democratic colleagues you been very good to work with and trying to find a response to this horrific attack against israel that will make the world a better and safer place. The fun things like American College support points that everyone out there know this committee is working hard to try to find a way to be helpful. In terms of being helpful, where i come from in South Carolina and many people on this side College Footballs not a sport it was a religion. [laughter] we are very concerned about where this thing is going. There is a lot of bipartisan support there needs to be a National Standard. All. Of your schools need to hae some guidance. If you make them employees you will knock out especially womens athletics will go away. As you try to elevate some of the star players to make sure they get a piece of the pie we do not want to create an environment for division ii or Smaller Division i schools. Will be knocked g out of the gae because they cannot afford it. I want still to be an amateur sport to the best we can. So tote me i want to associate myself with what senator blumenthal said. There needs to be a federal standardta. Utah is offering everyone on the team a new truck. There is no end to this. Donors are out there competing ferociously pro sports you signed a contract which means no ones going to take that player away from you for certain period of time. E. You got a chance to get your money back. From the portal and an il College Football is an absolute chaos. And we need to fix it. National legislation is only way to fix it. Our desire to protect the athlete which is a worthy goal we cannot destroy by making it so expensive non revenuegenerating sports. Went to make sure athletes at every level in college, smaller colleges can play too. That is the goal. I look forward to trying to find the solution. Thank you. Think is that her grandpa and i will introduce the witnesses will swear them in turn to their statements were pleased to have all of you hereav today. Charlie baker our first witnesses present the National Athletic association or the ncaa. Mr. Bakers a former basketball player at harvard who also happen to serve as governor ofr massachusetts from 2015 to 2023. We are joined by tony commissioner of the big ten conference. The big 10 power five conferences and home to several powerhouse College Athletic programs. Which i know George Albert would like to know includes northwestern university. Our next witness is trinity tumnus and all american gymnast at the university of florida. Among her many accomplishments she is a twotime honda award winner given to top female in College Gymnastics and holds ncaa record with perfect tens for 28. He is currently pursuing a second masters degree has built an impressive an il portfolio. We are joined by executive directorut of College Players at National College of Players Association organization he helped to found for College Athletes rights. He earned a bastion bachelors degree from ucla where he was a member of the Football Team has been very helpful in the past but also in helping us shape legislation. Mr. Walker jones executive director designed to help athletes at the university of mississippi monetize their end il rights mr. Jones graduate with a bachelor degree from the university of mississippi where he was a member of the College Football team. Mr. Jill Vice President director of athletics at st. Josephs university. Member of the board of directors of womens leaders in sports. She can speak to the perspective how smaller universities are dealing with the advent of an il. Finally jack Vice President director of athletics of notre dame. Helped shape modern College Athletics. Earlier this year he coauthored oped in the New York Times discussing the state of College Sports. We welcome all of you would you please rise to take the oath . Do you swear the testimony will give t is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god . Thank you. Mr. Baker will begin with your testimony please. [inaudible] and that your microphone may not be on. Better . Whats okay. Thank you very much center blumenthal to younk into Ranking Member graham the distinguished members of the committee andgu want to start by thanking you all for theg opportunity to be here today. Before i begin i want to say on behalf of College Sports generally actually condemn the recent violence perpetrated by hamas. Thesee acts were horrific, hard to comprehend our thoughts are with the people of israel and the innocence involved in that conflict sprayed advance of my testimony today we did speak with leaders from all three divisions and others to ensure im speaking first brought a collection of nca voices asec possible. This has lead time to address College Sports speaks to their importance princess of ticket to an education for half a million young people generating 4 billion in college age. College sports are a cornerstone to countless campuses and in turn they are cornerstones for thriving communities. College sports are americas olympic pipeline 75 of the 2022 team usa coming up through our nca sports for College Sports are also long overdue for a change. Im proud to say we happen doing something about that. Since i took over nca president seven months ago we. Student Athlete HealthInsurance Fund provide all athletes across all three divisions access to Health Insurance for athletically related injuries for up to two years post eligibility or graduation. Every d1 school is required to provide Healthcare Benefits degree completion funds for at least 10 years after the stop competing and Mental Health services to their student athletes. Scholarships are protected schools must offer academic counseling, Financial Literacy and career preparation. We prioritize equitable temperatures experiences and direct National Office leadership to put gender equity the center of everything they do. Nca also continues to advance common sense changes to Sports Betting policies enforcement policies that penalize the adults, the young people. Nca is knitting and ill buy less forward to improve outcomes for student athletes, we share your concerne there they deserve to profit from an il free from manipulation. These changes are long overdue there happening now thanks in part to calls for action from members of this committee from the student athletes themselves. There are some issues College Sports based that we cannot address on our own. I knew an il bylaw proposal requires student athletes to disclose certain information to their schools only and offers to use fair contract terms refutable agents. We want to partner with congress to go further and curtail inducements prevent collectives and other third parties from tampering with students we would like to have a National Standard or a patchwork of laws as you pointed out center blumenthal currently exists. Schools, conferences ncaa are making changes to the benefits we provide to enable enhanced benefits or protecting programs from a onesizefitsall approach we support codifying current Regulatory Guidance angela by granting student athletes special status would affirm employees at this point we are not alone. I visited Augustana College in south dakota a few months ago was senator jon through to your student athletes talk about why they dont want to become employees. Thee elected student athlete represents about three divisions are on recordd saying the same thing. They fear the current legal landscape turning them into employees call for action for the athletic conferences representing the vast majority of historically black colleges and universities have also supported this policy. They believe the progress they have made educated young people of color would be at risk of their Athletic Departments had become e employers. We also then theres opportunity for congress to ensure this new era theres no discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sport and the marketing or facilitation of an il agreements. Lastly want to part with congress to grant limited Liability Protection we consider reasonable composition standards and enforce Student Health and wellbeing requirements with direction from congress. Let me just close with this. We are grateful for the time youre giving us today and t appreciate the chance to Exchange Ideas with you. I learned serving as governor of governorthe legislative branch s immense power and rightfully yields it sparingly. But i believe we can find Common Ground on this and look forward to helping student athletes succeed in this new era. Thank you. Thanks governor baker. Thank you. Center blumenthal, Ranking Member graham distinguished members of the committee thank you for the opportunity to discuss the burning issues with athletic include name, image, likeness commonly known as an il but they give a strong commitment to find legislative solutions. We have been working close to center screws, blumenthal and booker proposal i am encouraged to the strong interest facing college boys my name is tony and since ive been proud to serve a seventh commission of the big ten conference the countrys oldest division i collegiate conference. Although i believe in the big Ten Commission for six months i have a long history of working professional College Sports particulate major league baseball. I am also a former student athlete was first in my family to attend college. Like millions of americans being a College Athlete only pursue a Higher Education while continuing to follow my passion for sports which for me was baseball. Big ten conference deeply committed to Academics Research and broadbased sports opportunities for all students. We take great pride and success of our student athletes both inside and outside of the classroom during their time big ten institutions as well as after words. Student Athlete Health and welfare is a top party for us at the big ten. We provide oncampus and postseparation healthcare which guarantees o