In Senate, Rosen Helps Pass Legislation to Protect College Sports

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) helped pass a bipartisan bill in the Senate to establish much-needed regulation in college sports and provide important protections for student-athletes regarding health, safety, academics, and compensation. The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act would establish clear requirements for name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreements for college student-athletes and set regulations for sports agents - protecting young athletes from predatory practices and guarding the integrity of college sports.

"The current rules around athlete compensation and eligibility in college sports have created a murky landscape that's hurting our student-athletes and the sports we love most," said Senator Rosen. "I was proud to help pass this bipartisan bill in the Senate to return some much-needed stability to college sports, and provide clear protections for our athletes and universities in Nevada."

"With the passage of the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, we have taken an important step forward in providing intercollegiate athletics with comprehensive guidelines to address many of the most pressing issues in college sports today," said Brian Sandoval, President of the University of Nevada, Reno. "The Protect College Sports Act establishes clear frameworks for eligibility, revenue sharing and medical benefits for student-athletes, among many other key provisions, and clearly affirms the need for student-athlete protections through sensible oversight. We are grateful to Senator Rosen for her leadership, vision, and dedication to ensuring that student-athletes remain at the center of these important reforms."

"There is no question that the landscape of intercollegiate athletics is at an inflection point, and the Protect College Sports Act offers a common-sense approach that will create stability and clarity for institutions and support student-athletes as they grow and prepare for life after sport," said Chris Heavey, Interim President of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). "We're grateful to Sen. Jacky Rosen and to all members of our federal delegation who supported this important legislation, and to all who are working hard to ensure a bright future for student-athletes here in Nevada and throughout the nation."

In June, when the Senate Commerce Committee considered the bill, Senator Rosen secured two amendments that would ensure that non-Power 4 conferences, like the Mountain West Conference that UNR and UNLV are a part of, have a seat at the table when the rules are being decided at the NCAA and on the future of college sports.

Senator Rosen has played an important role in promoting American sports and supporting the industries around them. Senator Rosen's Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act to revitalize boxing and strengthen fighter protections recently advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee. In June, Senator Rosen's bipartisan American Decade of Sports Act, which would boost American sports diplomacy and leverage large sporting events hosted in the U.S. to boost tourism, advanced out of committee. Recently, Senator Rosen and UNLV hosted a discussion on Sports Tourism with representatives from the UFC, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Las Vegas Athletics, and organizers of the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

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