A leap forward in the modernization of college sports 

Whether it was the epic, record-setting Women’s Final Four matchups or the historic run of upsets we saw in our men’s basketball tournament, last month we were reminded once again of the unique ability of college sports to bring people together, thrill fans, and most importantly, provide young people the opportunity to obtain an education while chasing their athletic dreams. 

At the same time, while college sports are treasured, they need to be significantly modernized and student-athletes’ best interest must be the top priority. Change is necessary to sufficiently support student-athletes’ mental, physical, academic, and financial well-being. Last week I am proud to say the NCAA took real action to bring that needed change forward. Our Division I Board of Directors voted to approve what has been termed the “Holistic Student-Athlete Benefits Model”, which will bolster support for student-athletes in a slew of meaningful ways. 

For instance, student-athletes have expressed concern that if they suffer an injury during their college playing careers that requires medical attention beyond graduation, they might find themselves financially strained paying for treatment and recovery. While some schools opt to provide this protection today, going forward, all Division I schools will be required to provide medical coverage for athletically-related injuries for a minimum of two years following graduation or after a student-athlete concludes their athletics experience.  

Similarly, student-athletes have expressed clearly that given the pressures and demands they’re juggling, mental health is an area where they are seeking greater support. With the new requirements in place, all Division I athletic programs must meet elevated standards that make mental health care more accessible and readily available to student-athletes. 

Finally, many student-athletes’ collegiate journeys follow winding paths, not a straight line traveling four years. Going forward, Division I scholarship student-athletes will retain access to funds to complete their degrees for 10 years should they choose to separate from their school for any reason. Similarly, all Division I schools will now be required to provide student-athletes with a more complete set of resources in areas such as academic services, financial literacy and career preparation to ensure they’re obtaining the skills they will need to thrive off the field and beyond their playing days. 

While these reforms are important and meaningful, I know there are critical issues that remain unaddressed. This includes, among other things, the chaotic nature of today’s name, image and likeness (NIL) marketplace, and developing a sustainable and equitable way to address the financial interests of the small percentage of student-athletes whose teams generate a significant amount of revenue for their universities. 

We very much want to tackle these issues. But today, realistically, the NCAA lacks the legal clarity we need to address these issues effectively. As an example, NIL is currently regulated by more than 30 distinct individual state laws, several of which explicitly instruct schools to ignore NCAA guidelines in order to provide universities in those states a competitive advantage. Arkansas executed this exact playbook just a month ago, and others could follow. Bad actors are seizing on a rapidly widening window to exploit student-athletes in this “wild west” atmosphere. Last fall, one media analysis of more than a dozen written NIL offers made to high school sports recruits were found to be “exploitative,” including agent commissions exceeding 40 percent. If you haven’t before, I encourage you to Google the name “T.A. Cunningham” to discover the heartbreak that can happen when student-athletes become targets for shady agents’ financial gain.  

We need a single set of national rules that allow student-athletes to realize their NIL earning potential while setting up consumer protections for student-athletes and their families. As President of the NCAA, I am ready to make needed change but, in this instance, Congress is the only entity that possesses that ability. We need Congress to act. Should Congress step in to address a small but critically important set of threshold issues such as establishing national NIL guidelines and affirming student-athletes’ unique, non-employment-based relationship with their universities, I am confident in our ability at the NCAA to fulfill our mission supporting 500,000-plus student-athletes each year. 

Whether it’s a Final Four Cinderella story or a Division III swim team, college sports have the power to transform young people’s lives like few other American institutions. I played college sports and experienced their power directly. So did my wife and two of our children. College sports’ rare ability to help people reach their potential drew me to this job: securing its future is a responsibility I take seriously. I am proud of the progress we made to protect student-athletes’ health and academic success and look forward to working with NCAA members, Congress, and most importantly student-athletes to accelerate this journey. 

Charlie Baker is president of the NCAA.