John, as the March Madness women’s college basketball Final Four gets underway this evening, I’ve been doing some reflecting.

My experience as a college athlete shaped my approach to NCAA accountability ever since I was sworn in to the United States Senate.

As an All-American high school football player, I was fortunate to earn a scholarship to attend and play tight end at Stanford, which opened countless doors for me. The experience taught me about character, honor, leadership, discipline, and grit. I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for college sports.

But it also opened my eyes to some deep, systemic injustices in the NCAA system – a system that, to this day, continues to put profits over athletes.

I’ve introduced a bipartisan proposal in the Senate to better serve athletes and institutions. We can get this done with your support — add your name to join my call to improve health, safety, and educational outcomes for college athletes.

The NCAA is a $16 billion dollar industry, and thanks to court decisions and the passage of state name, image, and likeness laws, college athletes can finally earn compensation through sponsorship deals, paid appearances, and memorabilia and merchandise.

More needs to be done, though, to make college athletics safer, fairer, and more just for athletes.

We need evidence-based health and safety standards; a medical trust fund that athletes can use to cover the costs of out-of-pocket medical expenses; opportunities for athletes to retain their scholarship for as long as it takes them to complete their degrees; and federal protections for their name, image, and likeness rights.

March Madness would not exist without the athletes. We need to have their backs. Add your name if you agree.

Thanks for reading, and go Cardinal!

With love and gratitude,

Cory