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Protecting Student Athletes & Competition

As a coach, educator, and mentor for 40 years, I have seen firsthand how athletic competition equips students with a strong work-ethic, healthy habits, team mindset, and life-changing opportunities.

Student-athletes of all ages benefit from the scholastic and personal development that come from taking part in organized sports. Over time, scholastic competition—especially college sports—has become a part of the fabric of our country, making its preservation important for student-athletes and our nation’s future. In today’s divided climate, scholastic athletic competition is one of the few things that brings people from all backgrounds together. I am committed to ensuring sports continue to thrive and provide opportunities for young men and women across the country.

Saving Women's Sports

Title IX is one of the best pieces of legislation to ever come through Congress. For far too long, sports scholarship opportunities were limited to male students due to a lack of resources for women’s sports. However, since the enactment of Title IX in 1972, millions of women have been able to benefit from participation in athletic competition, just like their male counterparts. Unfortunately, women’s sports are now under attack from left-wing politicians who want to undo Title IX protections and allow biological males to compete in women’s sports. This is unacceptable, and I am fighting back to protect Title IX and all female athletes.

  • I led a delegation of colleagues in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX and calling for its protection. WATCH.
  • I spoke out about the importance of protecting women’s sports and warned the Biden administration that their far-left policies would unfairly punish women and girls—unraveling five decades’ worth of Title IX success.
  • I submitted a comment to Biden administration officials at the Department of Education on the proposed changes to Title IX, strongly condemning the Department’s plans to force institutions to allow biological males to compete in women’s sports.
    • The Biden Administration ignored my comment, along with thousands of other comments raising opposition to the proposed rule. They released a radical, leftist rule that redefines gender.
    • I sent a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona investigating possible outside influences behind ED’s recent finalized Title IX rule that impacts women and girls across the country. Specifically, the finalized rule redefines gender and forces schools to allow males in spaces and activities designed for females. 
  • I introduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to preserve Title IX protections for female athletes and ensure fair, safe competition in women’s sports across the country. My legislation would counteract the Biden administration’s plans to force institutions to allow biological males to compete in women’s sports and share locker rooms with females. 
    • I originally introduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in 2022, but Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has refused to bring it to the floor for a vote.
    • I attempted to introduce my bill as an amendment to the March 2024 government spending bill – all 51 Democrats voted to block the amendment from proceeding. WATCH.
  • I introduced the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to prohibit any governing body recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) from allowing men to participate in any athletic event intended for females. The bill modifies eligibility requirements for amateur sports governing organizations and became necessary after USA Boxing changed its rules to allow men to box against women. This bill will ensure that the Olympics are fair to American women who train their whole lives to represent our country on the world stage.
  • I hosted a Title IX roundtable with athletes, coaches, parents, and former ESPN host Sage Steele to discuss the importance of preserving Title IX and saving women’s sports. Watch the roundtable or read an op-ed recapping it here.
  • I sponsored a resolution recognizing October 10 as ‘American Girls in Sports Day.’ If we are going to dedicate days to celebrating every group or cause under the sun, the least we can do is dedicate one day to recognizing women and girls who deserve the same access as men to fair and equal competition.

Protecting Student-Athletes and Preserving College Sports

College sports have given tens of thousands of student-athletes, male and female, the opportunity to obtain a degree from an institution of higher education. In addition to providing life-changing scholarships for students, college athletics are a vital part of our country’s culture and economy. In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that student-athletes must be compensated for the use of their name, image, and likeness, commonly known as NIL. Ever since the Supreme Court ruled that student-athletes can be compensated, college sports have been in a tailspin. I fully support student-athletes making money. But there have to be rules—and right now there are almost no national standards for NIL endorsement contracts. This has created an uneven playing field for players and puts college sports as a whole at risk.

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