Republican Congressmen Russell Fry and Barry Moore introduced the "Protect the Ball Act" to provide federal legal protection for the NCAA, conferences, and member schools in governing college sports.
Two Republican Congressmen, Russell Fry (R-S.C.) and Barry Moore (R-Ala.), have introduced the "Protect the Ball Act" to provide federal protection for the NCAA, college conferences, and member schools against legal challenges that hinder their ability to govern college sports. The bill aims to provide legal safe harbor for the entities that run college sports and allow them to regulate aspects such as recruiting, eligibility standards, and college athlete compensation for their name, image, and likeness. This comes as the NCAA and Power Four conferences consider a settlement agreement that could cost billions, while facing antitrust lawsuits and lawsuits filed by states that challenge fundamental rules related to recruiting inducements and multi-time transfers.