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In a Dallas Morning News op-ed, SMU President Jay Hartzell argued that college athletics has reached a critical crossroads and that thoughtful federal regulation can help preserve competition, opportunity and long-term sustainability across higher education.

“As an economist, I favor less regulation and open competition,” Hartzell wrote. “But, in sports, some level of parity leads to a better product — games are more interesting, and more teams have a genuine chance to win.”

Highlights from the article include:

• Professional sports demonstrate that regulatory structures and revenue-sharing models can promote competitive balance while strengthening the overall product.
• Unlike professional sports franchises, universities have educational missions that affect millions of students, making the future of college athletics a matter of broader public interest.
• Without a more balanced framework, smaller universities may face increasing pressure to reduce investment in non-revenue sports or divert resources from their academic missions.
• The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act of 2026 offers an opportunity to create a more competitive, stable and sustainable future for college athletics while preserving opportunities for student-athletes.

“In the long run, a more level playing field across college athletics will benefit higher education,” he wrote. “The product will be better, games will be closer, alumni and fans will have more reasons to cheer and engage, and the financial model will be more sustainable. More importantly, more student-athletes across all sports will compete and earn degrees.”

Read the full op-ed on .