WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on Wednesday after the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced it is forming a working group to consider allowing college athletes to be compensated for the use of their names, images and likenesses. The NCAA explicitly stated it would not consider any proposal to compensate student-athletes for playing college sports.

“I’m a huge sports fan, which is why I’m so frustrated that so many people get rich off of college athletics except the players. I’ve spoken to the NCAA about my concerns, and I’m glad to see them take a first step to consider compensating student-athletes for their likeness. But that’s far from enough. Clemson’s lineman puts in just as much work, and risks his health in just the same way, as the star running back. I will continue to release my Senate reports and raise the alarm in Congress to demand fair compensation for student-athletes and a system that finally recognizes this as a civil rights issue,” said Murphy.

Earlier this year, Murphy unveiled the first in a series of reports titled Madness Inc.: How Everyone is Getting Rich Off College Sports – Except the Players, considering a range of problems within college athletics. In his first report, Murphy examined the profits of college sports and called on the NCAA to compensate student-athletes. The report found that among the sixty-five Power Five conference programs, only 12 percent of all revenue goes toward student-athlete scholarships, which means that the 4,400 head and assistant coaches collectively receive more of the revenue than the nearly 45,000 student-athletes. Coaches, former athletes, and advocates have spoken out in support of Murphy’s report.

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