House aims to block NCAA ban

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Champaign representative Timothy Johnson (R-Ill.) introduced legislation Thursday intending to prevent the NCAA from interfering with the autonomy of its member institutions, Johnson's office announced yesterday.

House Resolution 5289, called the Protection of University Governance Act of 2006, constrains the NCAA's ability to use a member institution's nickname, symbols or mascot as a reason for imposing sanctions against that school. It would allow affected colleges and universities to sue the NCAA, seeking both a court order to stop the decision and damages to cover attorneys' fees and damages lost from not hosting postseason competitions.

"Local economies across the country would be impacted if the NCAA's recent decisions are allowed to prevail unchecked," Johnson said in the press release. "As indicated by the sponsors who have signed on and who will continue to sign on, this is not a Republican grievance or a Democratic grievance. The NCAA's presumed authority is a grievance against us all.

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"The NCAA was established as a sports management association," Johnson said. "The organization has since assumed the mantle of social arbiters. They need to go back to scheduling ballgames and leave the social engineering to others."

House aims to block NCAA ban