Several US lawmakers are lining up in support...
For Immediate Release
11/20/2013
Washington DC — The National College Players Association (NCPA) sponsored “The Student-Athletes Bill of Rights” that was signed into California law in 2012. Today, the NCPA announces that US Congressman Tony Cardenas (CA) has introduced a congressional bill modeled after the California law. The legislation is co-sponsored by Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (MD), Charlie Rangel (NY), Tim Ryan (OH), Jared Huffman (CA) and Betty McCollum (MN).
Entitled “The Collegiate Student Athlete Protection Act”, the bill would address several issues identified in the NCPA’s All Players United (APU) campaign, a public pressure initiative launched by players wearing the letters APU on their football gear during televised football games. The NCPA has begun an APU lobbying effort on capitol hill today in support of the bill.
Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter who helped develop and launch the APU campaign stated, “I’m glad that members of Congress are trying to help protect us because we have important issues that the NCAA has failed to address.”
NCPA Executive Director Ramogi Huma stated, “This bill will prevent players from being stuck with sports related medical bills, prohibit schools from eliminating the scholarships of injured players, increase graduation rates, and more. It’s a significant step toward reform. The NCAA has refused to provide college athletes a real seat at the table which makes congressional action that much more important.”
“High school kids enter into athletic scholarship contracts with the hopes of making it pro, but knowing they are likely playing the last four competitive years of their athletic lives,” said Cárdenas. “It is unacceptable to me, and to millions of other Americans, that schools earning billions from amateur athletics are able to discard these students and destroy their academic goals after a career-ending injury or simply because they are no longer athletically competitive. Worse still, many schools intentionally violate intended scholarship limits with the intent of not renewing the scholarships of young men and women who are working hard for that elusive degree.”
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Launched by a group of UCLA football players in 2001, the National College Players Association serves as the only independent voice for college athletes across the nation. The NCPA has been featured in countless media outlets, including CBS 60 Minutes, ESPN, CNN, ABC News, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal. Today the NCPA has over 17,000 members from over 150 Division I campuses nationwide.