BOISE, Idaho — Idaho lawmakers and college athletics leaders are calling on Congress to create national rules for college sports as rapid changes surrounding athlete compensation continue to reshape the industry.
Supporters say the goal is to bring consistency to policies governing college athletics, particularly around Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) compensation, athlete eligibility, and the NCAA transfer portal.
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The push comes through Senate Joint Memorial 114, a proposal that urges federal lawmakers to establish a national framework for regulating college athletics.
Leaders at Boise State University say the lack of consistent federal rules has created financial uncertainty for universities nationwide and could eventually affect the number of sports programs schools are able to support.
“We need help from the federal level,” said Jeramiah Dickey, athletic director at Boise State.
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2021 opened the door for college athletes to receive compensation for their name, image, and likeness. More recently, a proposed settlement in the House v. NCAA settlement has allowed institutions to begin sharing revenue with athletes, a shift that supporters say has accelerated spending in college athletics.
Dickey said the changing landscape has made it difficult for universities to plan long-term. “We have to have a market check, and that's what I'm hoping that at minimum, this joint memorial gets national conversation and our federal delegates can use that as a foundation to say it is broken,” he said.
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Boise State football coach Spencer Danielson said the growth of NIL deals combined with the NCAA transfer portal, which launched in 2018, has transformed the recruiting landscape.
“It's unsustainable. We need help, we need things to change or else the game that we know and love that is all about transforming these players' lives is gonna become just transactional and it's not gonna be the same in the future,” Danielson said.
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Supporters of the memorial also say rising costs could place pressure on smaller or non-revenue sports programs.
Kailin Downs, head coach of Boise State’s women’s golf team, said the college athletics landscape has changed significantly since she competed as a student-athlete.
“We've swung completely the other direction and it’s unnerving," said Downs. "There has to be some guardrails put in place to operate with. I mean, it's sports, we all have rules, we all have referees."
Under the proposal, Idaho lawmakers are asking Congress to establish uniform national rules governing NIL compensation, athlete eligibility, and revenue sharing.
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Ben Adams, an Idaho lawmaker supporting the effort, said federal guidelines could also address how schools recruit athletes through the transfer portal.
“Maybe we look at putting actual parameters on recruitment into the portal,” Adams said.
If approved by the Idaho Legislature, the memorial would be sent to Idaho’s congressional delegation and leaders in Congress. Supporters say they hope the request encourages federal lawmakers to take action and create consistent regulations for college athletics nationwide.
