Congress Is Sniffing Around the NCAA Again

Every so often, members of Congress get around to looking at the NCAA. With lots of news over the past few months about athlete welfare, possible stipends, and especially the proposed college athletes union, a few elected representatives are taking up the cause again:

Two members of the House are sending a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert asking him to respond to more than two dozen questions about NCAA practices and the responsibilities of its schools to "provide rigorous academic opportunities and instruction to its 'student-athletes.' "

The letter is being sent by Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), a member of that committee who last fall introduced legislation that would require colleges with high-revenue sports programs to provide their athletes with a package of benefits, including financial aid when a scholarship is lifted for reasons other than misconduct or academic failure.

Cummings and Cárdenas are not alone. The linked article mentions two other representatives and three senators who are either proposing legislation regarding college athletes or looking into the NCAA.

Go read up on it if you want the details. At the very least, they're all filling up their Bingo cards of recent complaints about the college athletics system. It will be interesting to see what they get from Emmert's office. If his internal communications are as gaffe-filled as his public statements, this will, if nothing else, provide some more laughs.