Why I Support the Bipartisan Bill to Reform College Sports

When people hear the phrase “bipartisan bill,” their eyes often glaze over.

Politics has become so divided that many people assume every issue has to be viewed through a Republican lens or a Democrat lens.

A bipartisan bill is different.

It simply means members of both major political parties have agreed that a problem exists and are attempting to work together on a solution.

That is exactly what is happening with the proposed legislation aimed at overhauling college athletics.

And for the record:

I support it.

Not because I agree with every detail. Not because I believe government should solve every problem. I support it because college athletics has drifted too far away from its original purpose.

The purpose of college athletics is education.

Not entertainment.

Not roster shopping.

Not bidding wars.

Not free agency.

Education.

That distinction matters.

Professional sports are paid to win games.

NFL coaches are paid to win.

NBA players are paid to win.

Major League Baseball organizations are paid to win.

College athletics should be different.

High school athletics should be different.

Youth athletics should be different.

Those levels should be focused on developing people.

Leadership.

Discipline.

Communication.

Teamwork.

Resilience.

Time management.

Character.

The scoreboard matters.

But it should never matter more than the person.

Unfortunately, the current NIL and transfer portal environment has created incentives that pull everyone in the opposite direction. Nick Saban made this point clear during his testimony before Congress. Coaches are spending more time managing rosters than developing players. Athletes are transferring before they’ve had an opportunity to grow through adversity. Programs are investing enormous resources into retaining talent rather than educating and developing it. The result is a system that increasingly resembles professional sports while still calling itself educational athletics. That isn’t sustainable.

Football and Basketball Are Not The Entire Industry

Another reason I support reform is because football and basketball have become the center of every conversation. Of course they generate the most revenue.

No shit.

They’re the most popular sports. They have the biggest television audiences. They drive media rights deals. Nobody should be surprised by that. But college athletics is much bigger than football and basketball.

What about track and field?

Swimming?

Volleyball?

Baseball?

Softball?

Soccer?

Golf?

Tennis?

Wrestling?

Gymnastics?

The Olympic sports?

These programs create opportunities for thousands of student-athletes every year. They also help produce future Olympians, coaches, teachers, military leaders, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. If the current model continues unchecked, many athletic departments will be forced to make difficult decisions about which sports survive. That would be a disaster.

College athletics should create more opportunities, not fewer.

Financial Literacy Must Become Mandatory

This is the issue I believe I can help solve personally. If an athlete is receiving NIL money, financial literacy should be mandatory. Not recommended.

Mandatory.

Athletes should understand taxes before signing endorsement deals.

Athletes should understand contracts before hiring agents.

Athletes should understand investing before spending.

Athletes should understand business ownership before their playing careers end. Nick Saban highlighted concerns that some athletes are receiving poor advice from individuals whose primary objective is generating commissions rather than helping young people make good long-term decisions. The stories are becoming more common.

Athletes entering the transfer portal without legitimate offers.

Athletes signing agreements they don’t understand.

Athletes paying excessive percentages to advisors.

Athletes making life-changing decisions without receiving life-changing education.

That’s backwards.

The problem isn’t athletes making money. The problem is athletes making financial decisions without financial education.

The Vision for the Move Swift + LY School of Sports Management

This is exactly why I envision creating the Move Swift + LY School of Sports Management.

Not another agency.

Not another NIL collective.

Not another recruiting service.

A development system.

A place where athletes learn:

• Financial Literacy • Contract Evaluation • Leadership Development • Public Speaking • Branding • Entrepreneurship • Networking • Career Planning • Long-Term Wealth Building

Athletes should graduate understanding much more than their sport. They should understand how money works.

How contracts work.

How insurance works.

How business works.

How leadership works.

How life works.

The goal shouldn’t be maximizing the next NIL deal.

The goal should be maximizing the next forty years.

That aligns perfectly with the S.WI.FT + LY philosophy:

Skilled.

Well Informed.

Front Team.

Lift Yourself.

Because eventually every athlete faces the same reality.

The cheering stops.

The games end.

The scholarships expire.

The playing career is over.

What remains is the person.

And that person should be better developed because they participated in college athletics.

Not despite it.

That’s why I support reform.

Not because it will make everyone happy.

Action Step

But because it moves the conversation back toward what college athletics was supposed to be in the first place: An educational system that uses sports as the classroom.

If you’re an athlete, coach, parent, educator, or business leader who believes sports should be used to develop people — not just produce wins — I invite you to continue the conversation.

Visit **MakeYaMove.com** to learn more about the S.WI.FT + LY framework, leadership development resources, financial literacy education, and the long-term vision for the Move Swift + LY School of Sports Management.

The future of sports isn’t just about building better athletes.

It’s about building better people.