The latest round of loud Congressional grandstanding (pictured) now has an official date. Again.
John D. (Jay) Rockefeller, IV, the chairman of the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced Wednesday that a hearing titled ‘Promoting the Well-Being and Academic Success of College Athletes” has been scheduled for July 9. That hearing was originally scheduled for May but ended up being postponed.
According to the release, "[t]he hearing will explore how the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is fulfilling its stated mission ‘to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount.’ The hearing will also examine whether the commercial operation of college athletics is unfairly exploiting the talents and services of college athletes.”
And, for those interested, this thinly-veiled political ploy that will result in absolutely no change in the structure of collegiate athletics will be broadcast live via a webcast that will be available at the Commerce Committee’s website HERE.
The news of the rescheduled hearing comes on the heels of the end of the O’Bannon vs. NCAA trial, which addresses in part the commercial use of NCAA football players likenesses and images in video games. That case is expected to wind its way to Washington D.C. as well in the form of, ultimately, arguments in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.