ICYMI: Chairman Cassidy Hosts Roundtable with LSU Basketball Legend, Deputy Athletic Director on Fixing College Sports

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, hosted a roundtable today on reforming college athletics to protect students and ensure they have opportunities to succeed. As Chairman, Cassidy will hold a future committee hearing to continue the conversation.

U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Jon Husted (R-OH), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) joined Cassidy to hear from a variety of expert panelists and discuss how Congress can address this issue. The senators and panelists discussed and compared how revenue sharing, collective bargaining, and classifying student-athletes as employees affect student-athletes and universities.

"Instead of empowering student athletes, the current environment leaves them vulnerable to exploitation while threatening institutions that depend on athletics for survival. The future of college sports is at risk," said Dr. Cassidy. "Congress can no longer sit on the sidelines. We must act to restore common sense and certainty to the college athletic landscape."

Tuberville agreed with Cassidy's sentiment to prioritize protecting student-athlete's educational opportunities, stressing the need to distinguish these are educational institutions, not professional sports institutions.

"I did this 35 years. I watched kids become successful that never would have had a chance if they didn't go to college," said Senator Tuberville. "Now, we're bringing those same kids... to athletic programs to make money for the school and make a little bit themselves. They're not graduating... they're not even going to class. It's a disaster." Tuberville also pointed out that less than 0.5% of student-athletes go on to play professional sports, highlighting the need to set students up for success after graduation.

Husted concurred with Tuberville and Cassidy.

"There's a lot of student athletes out there who are not playing in March Madness or at Bowl games, but they are developing character," said Senator Husted. "[M]any of them go on to lead our institutions, our schools, our businesses, our communities." He also expressed concern over foreign students' taking away scholarship opportunities from Americans, as colleges decrease the number of scholarships they're able to give out.

Roundtable Panelists:

• Collis Temple, former professional basketball player, LSU Athletics Hall of Famer

• Julie Cromer, Executive Deputy Athletic Director/Chief Operating Officer, LSU

• Jim Carr, President & CEO, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

• Emily Surcey, Former Division I Student-Athlete and Development Officer, Samford University Athletics

• Bernard Dennis III, Principal, Jackson Lewis PC

As part of his efforts to fix college sports, Cassidy also is requesting information from stakeholders on how Congress can address issues affecting all student-athletes. Responses should be submitted to [email protected] by April 10, 2026.

Click here to watch the roundtable.

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