I thought this was interesting because the US government actually had a hand in forming the NCAA; I didn't know that.The association in fact got its start because, at the time of its creation, football was in danger of being abolished as a result of being deemed too dangerous a sport. During the 1905 season alone, 18 college and amateur players died during games. In response to public outcry, Theodore Roosevelt, an unabashed fan of the sport, gathered 13 football representatives at the White House for two meetings at which those in attendance agreed on reforms to improve safety. What would later become known as the NCAA was formed shortly after on the heels of this unifying safety agreement.
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As for the smoking gun (or soon to be), IMO, is the article in Inside Higher Ed. If you haven't read it, you should.
https://www.insidehighered.com/views/20 ... e-it-essay" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Their proposal is:
I've been pretty doom and gloom about where we are heading. However, if this latter thought gains traction, the plutocracy of the NCAA could be dissolved. This is the hammer we need to hope gets installed. Ray of sunlight in the dark future or just smoke?Given the current state of NCAA and institutional mismanagement of highly competitive football and basketball programs, the U.S. Congress should immediately act to establish a federally chartered organization to replace a dysfunctional NCAA to protect college athletes in the same way that it did to protect open amateur sports athletes in 1978. Failure to become a member of the new organization could render the institution ineligible to receive federal funds under the Higher Education Act of 1965.
