As Congress debates college sports, athletes-turned-senators have a seat at the table

WASHINGTON — With a major college sports reform bill on the brink of a milestone in Congress, some former athletes have a special place in the debate: the handful of U.S. Senators who played college sports themselves.

Sports With $2.7 billion settlement approved, college sports' big money era is officially here Supporters of the Protect College Sports Act , which is poised to pass the Senate on Monday, say the bill is needed to fix what they call an era of chaos in Division I athletics, characterized by ballooning pay for athletes, unlimited transfers between schools, constant lawsuits over eligibility rules and runaway athletic department budgets.