Two pieces of legislation aim to impose order on athlete transfers and compensation, but consensus is proving elusive.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington attend a Senate Commerce Committee roundtable on the current state of collegiate athletics on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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In January 2024, the University of Michigan won college football’s national championship with a team of mostly homegrown players. There were some transfers—the kicker, a second-string tight end, and a few on defense—but most of the stars had enrolled at Michigan as freshmen. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum, and defensive back Mike Sainristil had either already committed to Michigan or been on the team during its pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when the Wolverines went 2-4.
