Texas senator aims to help NCAA regulate athlete payments

College sports officials spent the past four years seeking federal legislation to block student-athletes from gaining employee status and letting the NCAA impose limits on how much money schools and boosters may give to their athletes. With Republicans taking control of Capitol Hill this month, the odds of the NCAA getting its wish are better than ever.

The new Republican leader of the influential Senate Commerce Committee told ESPN that one of his “major priorities” this session is to pass a law to help the NCAA regulate the booming market for college athletes without running afoul of federal antitrust restrictions. A bipartisan group of senators is drafting a measure to help prevent a split among NCAA schools.