In a bipartisan slam dunk, Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) unveiled the NCAA Accountability Act, a bold bid to slap due process handcuffs on the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s often murky investigations.
With March Madness buzzing, the duo’s bill aims to shield student-athletes, coaches, and universities from the NCAA’s “backroom” antics.
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“The NCAA has an unacceptable history of backroom deliberations that unfairly punish athletes, coaches, and universities, and we must ensure student athletes who work their entire lives to compete at the college level are not bogged down by inconsistent investigations conducted by an organization that continues to move the goal post.” said Senator Blackburn. “The NCAA Accountability Act would make the NCAA more accountable by ensuring the organization’s expectations for rule violations are consistent and fair. As the nation’s sports fans tune into the Big Dance, Congress should pass this legislation to protect our athletes and universities.”
The legislation’s playbook is tight: it demands the NCAA cough up detailed notices on investigations—allegations, penalties, and rights—within a year, no leaks allowed until charges drop.
It also hands schools a lifeline: a three-person arbitration panel for binding, impartial rulings. Penalties must match the crime, and the Justice Department gets teeth—fines and boardroom purges—to keep the NCAA honest.
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The bill targets any big-time athletic outfit with 900-plus members, locking the NCAA squarely in its crosshairs.
“College athletes, coaches, and universities deserve clear, consistent procedures during investigations of potential rule violations,” said Senator Booker.“This legislation is an important step toward ensuring fairness, transparency, and due process—and will help to strengthen trust in college athletics.”
As brackets fill and fans roar, Blackburn and Booker are betting Congress will greenlight this referee call—reining in a sports giant critics say has dodged the whistle for too long.
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