College sports are in a deep, rapid dive toward ruin.

Universities are spending tens of millions of dollars annually simply to remain competitive -- often borrowing money or diverting resources that should otherwise support education, student services, endowments and student-athlete well-being. Non-revenue, women’s, and Olympic sports are being eliminated because an overwhelming share of this money is flowing into football and men’s basketball.

At the same time, litigation is running rampant. Courts, rather than university presidents and athletic administrators, are increasingly deciding who can play, how long they can play, and where they can play. Different jurisdictions produce different outcomes, creating a system in which the rules can depend on where a case is heard. In many instances, a form of “hometown” bias appears to be in play.

Mid-sized and smaller schools simply cannot compete with the largest universities under the current system. Their student athletes are increasingly treated as a minor league training ground for larger programs, with bigger schools able to recruit players away after those student athletes have been developed elsewhere.

How can this be fixed? There is an answer: the Protect College Sports Act.

The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell, Eric Schmitt, Chris Coons, John Hickenlooper, Pete Ricketts, Peter Welch, and Shelley Capito, and endorsed by President Donald Trump, provides a comprehensive framework for addressing the problems facing college athletics.

It is the product of genuine collaboration among Congress, the White House, university athletic conferences, advocacy organizations, and -- most importantly -- student athletes.

The legislation establishes a national set of rules under which everyone would operate. It protects Olympic and non-revenue sports and makes a significant investment in growing women’s sports. It provides unprecedented health and safety protections, safeguards athletic scholarships and creates meaningful remedies when either student athletes or universities fail to meet their obligations.

It also directs nearly $1B toward historically Black colleges and universities, helping strengthen institutions that are an essential part of American higher education.

The Protect College Sports Act has been endorsed by more than 360 schools, every major conference, the NCAA, the USOPC, the United Negro College Fund, the Thurgood Marshall Fund, and numerous other organizations. It is scheduled for a vote in the U.S. Senate in September and hopefully the U.S. House takes it up shortly after.

The stakes could not be higher.

If Congress fails to act, there may be no going back. Universities will continue spending beyond their means, non-revenue sports will........

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