I’m a college athlete.The system that gave me my dream is starting to break

Every detail of my life, no matter how small, has been influenced by sports.My parents met at a Florida Relays track meet at the University of Florida.During my childhood, my mom was a Division II track coach at the Colorado School of Mines.I would spend my afternoons at practice with her, carefully observing every throw and every cue she gave her athletes.

Although my parents signed me up for every sport under the sun, all I ever wanted was to throw.Being exposed to college track at such a young age opened my eyes to the opportunities available through athletics.I worked relentlessly to “go DI.” In the process, I won multiple high school state and national championships while forming a tight-knit web of friends across the country.I can say with the utmost confidence that I would not be the person I am today without track and field.

No experience has been more transformative than my time as a student-athlete atClemson University.Clemson athletics has opened doors I never thought were possible.Every day, I wake up with the opportunity to better myself.How much stronger can I get?How much further can I throw?How much more can I learn?

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As a Clemson student-athlete, I have access to world-class facilities and a family of coaches, staff, teammates and peers that pour into me every day.In my two years as a college athlete so far, I have learned to find my ceiling and break through it.

I pray that every American athlete has the opportunity to live out their dreams just as I have.Sports teach us how to work hard, overcome adversity, be coachable, manage our time, and build lifelong relationships in the process. 

My coaches encouraged me to pursue both a B.S.and an MPA rather than taking a comparatively easier academic path.They also pushed me to pursue leadership roles through the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Executive Board, Atlantic Coast Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (ACC SAAC), internships, pre-professional organizations and a slew of volunteer opportunities.I would simply not be where I am without the support of Clemson Athletics.

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I pray that every American athlete has the opportunity to live out their dreams just as I have.Sports teach us how to work hard, overcome adversity, be coachable, manage our time, and build lifelong relationships in the process.Every child in the United States should have the opportunity to play sports at the highest level.

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Congresshas the duty toprotect American athletes.TheNCAAv.Alston and House v.NCAA decisions have created chaos within the NCAA.The patchwork of state laws and court decisions has created an unstable landscape for college sports.

Well-funded institutions like Clemson work hard to provide both revenue and non-revenue athletes with the tools they need to succeed.However, the disparities between Power 4 and mid-major programs continue to widen, and opportunities for American high school athletes are diminishing.The combination of post-House roster caps, transfer portal reliance on high school talent, and lingering eligibility waivers has slashed roster spots for walk-ons and compressed recruiting pipelines.

The consequences extend beyond recruiting.I have witnessed some of my closest friends get cut from their teams to accommodate roster caps.Budgets continue to tighten as schools stretch to provide more scholarships and services to athletes.Some universities have eliminated Olympic sports like men’s swimming or track and field altogether, while conferences have dropped championship sponsorship for others.

I have also seen the unbridled growth of revenue sharing and Name, Image, Likeness (NIL).These changes have been both a blessing and a curse for student-athletes.On one hand, football, basketball, and other revenue-earning sports deserve to share in the value they bring in for their schools, and, as an Olympic sport athlete, words cannot describe how grateful I am for them.Not only are they fun to watch, but their success helps fund opportunities for athletes like me.At the same time, there are no guardrails toprotect athletesfrom unregistered agents or excessive fees, leaving many students vulnerable to exploitation.

The transfer portalhas also fundamentally changed college athletics, uprooting any resemblance of school loyalty that once existed.I personally know athletes who have transferred two or more times, and it’s no secret that forming a deep-rooted team culture is already difficult, let alone when the composition of your team changes every year.The tradition and loyalty that have long defined college sports are effectively dying, and without reasonable regulation, the problem will only continue to grow.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti meet with reporters during a joint press conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

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We are approaching a point of no return.Congress must intervene before college sports as we now know them are destroyed.Not just for currentNCAA athleteslike me, but also for athletes like my little brother, who is about to start his first year as a Division I lacrosse player at a mid-major program, my little sister, who dreams of playing lacrosse at a Power 4 school, and every young athlete working toward and dreaming about the chance tocompete in the NCAA.

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College athletics changes lives.If we don’t protect it, we will close countless doors across the country that catapult kids into better opportunities.S.4668, the Protect College Sports Act, is our best shot to establish a level playing field for all college athletes, revenue and non-revenue.While no bill is perfect, this legislation is necessary to establish a framework of laws to govern revenue sharing and NIL, the transfer portal, and eligibility — protecting Olympic sports and millions of student-athletes.

If Congress fails to act now, the opportunities that have transformed my life may not exist for the next generation because college sports will be too far gone.

Ella Brooks is a rising junior and a member of the women’s track and field team at Clemson University, where she studies political science.She serves as vice president of external affairs for Clemson’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.Brooks, along with other members of the Atlantic Coast Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, co-authored a letter supporting the Protect College Sports Act, federal legislation aimed at establishing a national framework for college athletics.She hopes to pursue a career in politics after concluding her athletic career.