On March 30, 2026, Senator Bill Cassidy, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), called for Congress to help fix college sports:
“I talk to athletes, coaches, students, parents, and fans who all say the same thing: college sports are a mess,” wrote Dr. Cassidy. “Our mission is to set students up for success. Not only on the field or in the classroom, but in their careers after college. We have a responsibility to meet the moment, get off the sidelines, and get this right. My committee is focused on finding a solution,” Read his full statement here.
The Senator also posted a request for all interested parties to respond to 25 questions specific to the issues the HELP committee needs to address. Drake experts immediately convened to respond, and on April 9, Kassandra Ramsey, President of The Drake Group, submitted answers to the Senator (link to full response is below) and commended the Senator’s leadership in examining the need for more information on issues related to Title IX, Olympic sports, gender equity, and other factors affecting the financial sustainability of Division I athletic programs. Ramsey also noted that although the Senate Commerce Committee has taken the lead on these issues so far, The Drake Group believes that the HELP Committee is a more appropriate venue for higher education legislative reform. She also commented that “Since 98 percent of all athletic programs are subsidized by institutional general fund dollars (tuition) and student activity fees, the new significant expenses of the Division I football and men’s basketball arms race under the House v. NCAA Settlement—with few expenditure limits—threatens the overall financial health and academic integrity of higher education institutions.
