Keeping College Athletics on a Level Playing Field

There is something special about walking through the gates of Memorial Stadium on a crisp fall afternoon, surrounded by thousands of fans chanting “Go Big Red” as the excitement builds before kickoff. Or walking into the Bob Devaney Sports Center, where the air is electric with anticipation of the Huskers taking the court. 

But what if that magic was overshadowed by game manipulation and insider trading? What if your favorite athlete was gambling on their own performance, or the opposing team’s star player had previously played professionally? Suddenly every missed shot, dropped pass, or unexpected loss raises troubling questions.

We expect college athletics to be played the right way. Behind every student-athlete are years of practice, sacrifice, and support from their families, coaches, teammates, and communities. Those athletes deserve a fair opportunity to compete, and schools have a responsibility to uphold the rules that make fair competition possible. Unfortunately, as college athletics have evolved over the last few years, there have been well-documented cases around the country of players and coaches trying to go beyond the spirit of the sport.  
 
That is why I introduced my bipartisan Fair Play Enforcement Act to hold schools accountable when they knowingly disregard established rules of competition. Specifically, my legislation would penalize schools if they field an athlete in a sanctioned competition after that athlete has gambled on collegiate sports or signed a contract with and been rostered by a professional team before returning to compete in the same sport at the collegiate level. Gambling undermines the trust fans place in the outcome of a game, while rules around professional participation help preserve the distinction between college and professional athletics. 

The Fair Play Enforcement Act would penalize any school for putting an ineligible player on the field or court with an excise tax based on a percentage of its total gross athletic revenue. This includes money from ticket sales, media rights, sponsorships, and conference distributions. My bill also includes safeguards to ensure these penalties are fair and based on established fact. A penalty could only be imposed after the appropriate governing body, such as the NCAA, makes a final, documented determination that a violation occurred. It would also apply only when a school knew or reasonably should have known about the violation and protect schools complying with a court order to roster or field a player. 

There is a reason fans pack football stadiums on fall Saturdays and fill arenas across the country to cheer on college athletes. These teams represent our schools, our communities, and our state. At the end of the day, we should be able to trust that the athletes we cheer for and the institutions they represent are competing with integrity.  
 

As college sports continue to evolve, I will work to preserve what makes them special: the opportunity they provide for young adults to hone their skills, represent their states and communities, and have a fair chance to compete.