With the Final Four ready to battle for the NCAA basketball championship, a congressman from Florida is addressing the plight of unpaid student athletes.
U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, D-Fla., hosted a panel discussion and screened a documentary on Capitol Hill this week as he turned his attention to “the plight of unpaid student-athletes in a multi-billion-dollar athletic enterprise.”
“As we head down the final stretch to the NCAA Championship, I wanted to highlight some of my concerns about the multi-billion industry of college athletics and their stream of unpaid student labor, ” said Lawson who played and coached college basketball. “I think it is extremely vital, at this time, to have this conversation and discuss the policy implications and the disservice to student-athletes who can’t financially benefit from their labor.”
“Student Athlete is about telling the important story of college athletes and the struggles and sacrifices they make with little to show for it,” Carter said. “We’re proud that our film can help turn this long-time conversation in to real action.”
Also this week, Lawson brought out the “NCAA Act” which “would eliminate the ‘one and done’ rule, provide medical coverage for sports-related injuries, and create an easier process for student athletes to gain work opportunities while in school.” The bill has a long way to go as Lawson has not reeled in any cosponsors on the House side and there is no companion bill over in the U.S. Senate. Lawson’s proposal was sent to the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee on Tuesday.
