FRISCO, Texas — At the request of Southland Conference Commissioner Chris Grant, the conference’s Board of Directors and athletics directors met with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz on Wednesday, July 8, for a comprehensive discussion regarding the Protect College Sports Act and the future of Division I athletics.
The virtual meeting provided Southland institutional leaders with a unique opportunity to engage directly with Senator Cruz and members of his staff regarding federal legislation intended to establish a national framework for college athletics and provide greater legal and regulatory certainty for student-athletes, institutions and conferences.
The discussion also ensured that the perspectives of institutions outside the autonomy conferences remained part of the national conversation surrounding the future of college athletics.
“I sincerely appreciate Senator Cruz and his staff for making time for our presidents, athletics directors and student-athlete leadership,” Grant said. “Opportunities like this are rare for an FCS conference, and we are grateful to have had a seat at the table. The Southland represents a diverse group of institutions, and I believe those perspectives made for a productive conversation.”
Representing institutions across five university systems and two independent private universities, Southland leaders brought a broad range of perspectives to the discussion, reflecting the diversity of Division I athletics across Texas and Louisiana.
Also participating was Lamar University volleyball student-athlete Emily Moon, President of the Southland Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and a member of the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advocacy Committee. Moon provided valuable dialogue on behalf of Southland and NCAA Division I student-athletes, reinforcing the importance of keeping their experiences and perspectives at the center of policy discussions.
“One of the highlights of the meeting was hearing directly from Emily Moon,” Grant said. “She represented Southland student-athletes and her service on the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advocacy Committee with tremendous professionalism. Her perspective reinforced that every conversation about the future of college athletics should begin and end with our student-athletes.”
During the meeting, Senator Cruz outlined the goals of the Protect College Sports Act and answered questions from Southland presidents, athletics directors and student-athlete leadership. Participants engaged in a thoughtful dialogue regarding the evolving landscape of Division I athletics, the importance of greater national consistency and the potential impact of federal legislation on student-athletes and institutions.
“College athletics is at an important moment, and meaningful dialogue like this benefits everyone,” Grant said. “We appreciate the leadership demonstrated throughout this process by the autonomy conferences and other national stakeholders. As the legislation continues to be vetted, the Southland Conference looks forward to continuing the conversation through our university systems and governance process while ensuring our institutions and student-athletes have a meaningful voice.”
Southland presidents and athletics directors will continue evaluating the proposed legislation through their respective campuses, university systems and institutional governance processes as the national legislative discussion moves forward. The conference remains committed to engaging constructively with federal policymakers, the NCAA and peer conferences while advocating for the interests of its member institutions and student-athletes.