Sports
Sens Marsha Blackburn, Maria Cantwell hustling to protect college athletes’ finances in murky NIL world
Congress ‘fumbles’ NIL college sports bill
Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioning an NIL bill’s link to an LSU coaching controversy and more on ‘Special Report.’
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EXCLUSIVE: Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., plan to go to bat for college athletes to help secure their futures by investing their name, image and likeness (NIL) earnings.
Blackburn and Cantwell introduced the Helping Undergraduate Students Thrive with Long-Term Earnings (HUSTLE) Act, according to a release obtained by Fox News Digital. The senators said college athletes would get the opportunity to put money into “tax-advantaged investment accounts for student athletes, require trustees to provide financial education, and establish regulations to prevent abuse.”
The senators vowed that the HUSTLE Act would also help college athletes improve their financial literacy and better navigate the Wild West of NIL.
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Virginia offensive lineman Drake Metcalf (60) reacts in the first half of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game against Duke, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
“College athletes are now earning billions of dollars from their name, image, and likeness—and rightly so. We must empower these students to safeguard their financial future and protect themselves against rogue agents,” Blackburn said in a statement. “The HUSTLE Act would allow college athletes to invest their earnings in a tax-advantaged account that grows over time, strengthen financial education, and create safeguards to prevent exploitation by dishonest agents.”
Cantwell hoped that college athletes would no longer be taken advantage of by “unscrupulous agents.”
“This bill focuses in on the financial security and safety of college athletes who – finally – are earning compensation for their name, image, and likeness (NIL),” Cantwell added. “Many of these athletes will be in a unique situation where they will earn NIL income during a relatively brief period of their careers. Our bill will set up a specific NIL Account where they can set aside some of that income and build long-term savings.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., speaks as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Oct. 7, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“The bill also will protect athletes and their NIL earnings against financial exploitation by unscrupulous agents. Since athletes have been able to earn NIL, some have been victimized by agents who have charged shockingly high commissions or have tried to take ownership of the athlete’s intellectual property rights. Our bill will rein in these abuses and require agents to register with a state.”
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Under the HUSTLE Act, college athletes will be able to use NIL earnings up to the annual gift-tax exclusion amount to an NIL investment account, allowing their funds to grow tax-free. The bill would allow up to $35,000 in unused NIL account funds to be rolled over into an IRA or retirement account once the athlete has been out of college athletics for at least a year.
Trustees would be required to provide financial education to ensure athletes know how to manage their money. The HUSTLE Act would also direct the Treasury Department to draw up regulations to prevent abuse and exploitation, report and track contribution limits and define other expenses.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, left, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., during a confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The HUSTLE Act would also update the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act. Athlete agents would have to register with a state before being able to represent athletes in NIL deals. Agent fees would be capped at 5% and certify their registration to whichever athletic association that governs the athlete’s sport.
Deceptive practices would be banned, and national governing bodies would be required to put together an online registry of registered and certified athlete agents to increase transparency for athletes and their families.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was among those who endorsed the HUSTLE Act.
“The Southeastern Conference is grateful for the continued engagement of lawmakers in addressing the evolving needs of student-athletes,” he said in a statement. “The HUSTLE Act represents a constructive approach by establishing tax-advantaged NIL investment accounts that encourage financial education, long-term savings, and responsible management of earnings.
UConn guard Azzi Fudd (35) drives to the basket as DePaul guard Devin Hagemann (7) defends in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Storrs, Connecticut. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
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“We appreciate Congress’s sustained bipartisan commitment to developing national, consistent standards that support student-athletes and enhance their opportunities in this rapidly changing environment.”
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BOURNEMOUTH, England — Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick branded the decisions of referee Stuart Attwell “baffling” and “astonishing” after his side suffered perceived penalty injustice in a dramatic 2-2 Premier League draw at Bournemouth.
United took the lead in the 61st minute courtesy of a Bruno Fernandes penalty after Bournemouth defender Álex Jiménez tugged on Matheus Cunha‘s shirt in the box.
Minutes later Diallo was brought down by an Adrien Truffert in the area, only for VAR to deem the contact “was not sufficient for a foul.”
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United’s screams for a penalty were waved away. Seconds later, Bournemouth drove the ball down the opposite end and levelled the scores through Ryan Christie.
United went back ahead on 71 minutes when Bournemouth’s James Hill accidentally nodded a Fernandes corner into his own net.
However, the atmosphere among the travelling support turned when Maguire brought down striker Evanilson with a push in the box that resulted in him getting a red card and Bournemouth an equaliser from the penalty spot.
While Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola said the Diallo collision was “never a penalty,” Carrick said the decisions involving Cunha and Diallo were exactly the same.
“He’s definitely got one of them wrong because he’s given one penalty for us for the same thing that he’s not given one,” Carrick told a news conference.
“There’s a two-arm grab. The Matheus one he gives, the second one on Amad he doesn’t, which I think is almost identical, really. If you have two hands on someone in the box and they go over and they’re in control of the ball, for me it’s two penalties.
“It will be interesting to see which one they acknowledge is wrong: the one we got or the one we didn’t get.
“It’s a huge moment. They don’t give it, they go down the other end and score and then it becomes all of a sudden, ‘oh, it needs to be a bigger penalty to overturn,’ just because they scored, when actually it’s a penalty and it should be a penalty if you’ve already given one.
“It’s baffling really to make sense of that. And because they score, the game flips a little bit and changes.
“We defended with the 10 men after all that very well. But the penalty one is just astonishing, I have to say. One of them must be wrong.”
Man United captain Bruno Fernandes also expressed his frustrations, adding that he believes “small” players do not get the decisions they deserve from referees.
“Not getting a penalty and then we get a penalty against where it’s the same situation as Amad — one is one, one is not,” he told Sky Sports.
“I know it’s difficult for the referee to give two penalties to the same team in one game, but I don’t understand why VAR doesn’t get involved in that situation or with Harry [Maguire] because either one is a penalty and so is the other, or none of them are.
“Amad is getting to a point where he’s going to shoot, and he gets pushed — you can see that something puts him completely out of balance. It’s frustrating for the small players because they always say the small players are soft, and when it’s the bigger players, they end up giving the fouls.
“I think the other situation is a penalty, but I also think the one on Amad is a penalty and that could’ve changed the game.”
United remain in third place after the Premier League and will hope that Liverpool, Aston Villa and Chelsea also drop points this weekend as they fight to finish in the top five to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
PA contributed to this report.
Sports
American Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti thanks Trump for Army-Navy game executive order
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American Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti praised President Donald Trump after Trump signed an executive order to protect the exclusive broadcasting window for the annual Army-Navy football game.
Pernetti expressed the conference’s “deep gratitude” for the order.
“The American Conference is deeply grateful to President Trump for his strong leadership in issuing the historic executive order to preserve America’s Game,” Pernetti said in a statement.
“This is a meaningful step that protects a cherished national tradition and reinforces what makes the Army-Navy Game so special to our country.
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President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order during the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy presentation with the Navy Midshipmen football team in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
“The Army-Navy Game represents far more than football. It honors our service academies, highlights the character and commitment of our future leaders and brings Americans together around values that matter deeply, including service and sacrifice.
“This executive order is a positive step for the sport, for our service academies and for the enduring legacy of America’s Game. We are proud to be a part of the team working to protect it.”
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President Donald Trump is escorted onto the field to take part in the ceremonial coin toss before the start of a game between Army and Navy at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore Dec. 13, 2025. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP Photo)
Trump signed the order Friday as he presented the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the Navy football team in the East Room of the White House. The order directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Commerce to coordinate with relevant parties, including the NCAA, the College Football Playoff (CFP) and broadcast partners, to secure an exclusive broadcast window for the standalone game.
The executive order came amid growing concerns that an expanding College Football Playoff calendar could encroach on the game’s traditional date, which since 2009 has been played exclusively on the second Saturday in December.
The classic rivalry, first played in 1890, has been played annually since 1930 and typically draws 7 million to 8 million viewers, making it one of the highest-rated regular-season games in college football. The current television agreement with CBS Sports runs through 2038.
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President Donald Trump tosses a coin before a game between the Army and Navy in Baltimore Dec. 13, 2025. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump, who has attended multiple Army-Navy games as president, framed the move in January as an act of patriotism, writing on social media, “Under my Administration, the second Saturday in December belongs to Army-Navy, and ONLY Army-Navy!”
As the postseason structure of college football continues to evolve, this executive order signals a significant commitment by the administration to maintain the standalone grandeur of a matchup defined by the phrase “sing second.”
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Top swimmers and divers across the NCAA look to bring their school a title at the 2026 swimming and diving championships. ESPN’s coverage includes men’s and women’s feeds available on ESPN+. Virginia women will look to capture their fifth straight title, while Texas will try to repeat as champions on the men’s side.
Check out key facts about the NCAA swimming and diving championships below:
How can fans watch?
Both championships can be watched on ESPN+. Streams are available on the NCAA swimming and diving streaming hub.
What are the dates?
The men’s championship runs March 25-28 and the women’s championship is March 18-21.
What is the schedule?
*All times Eastern
Men’s
March 25: 10 a.m., ESPN+
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1650-yard freestyle
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200-yard medley relay
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800-yard freestyle relay
March 26: 10 a.m., ESPN+
March 27: 10 a.m., ESPN+
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100-yard backstroke
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200-yard breaststroke
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500-yard freestyle
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50-yard freestyle
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400-yard medley relay
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3-meter diving
March 28: 10 a.m., ESPN+
Women’s
March 20: ESPN+
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100-yard backstroke
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200-yard breaststroke
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500-yard freestyle
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50-yard freestyle
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400-yard medley relay
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3-meter diving
March 21: 10 a.m., ESPN+
Check out the ESPN college sports hub page for news, features and more.
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