Feds Engaged In SportsWashing (Video)

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 13:33

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In this episode, the Common Core Diva Lynne Taylor joins me as she exposes the sportswashing going on from DC, and we’ll address why it is not part of the scope of the central government’s authority, but the parents’ role.

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The overreach by the federal government into sports in our schools is NOT new, nor is it from the use of Executive Orders in the White House as we’ve seen recently.

Back in 2014, I wrote this:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2014/08/01/block-that-punt-common-core-standards-takes-on-sports/

Since then, I also researched and wrote, as well as had interviews on federal overreaches in the Olympics (which use college-level sports as a resource for talented competition), K-12 Physical Education Common Core aligned programs, Special Olympics (they were used as a test ground for biometric tracking), and more.
See: My archives on Olympics: https://www.commoncorediva.com/?s=Olympics

My archives on Title 9: https://www.commoncorediva.com/?s=Title+9

But what’s happening now?
1) A recent hearing held by the US House’s Ed/Workforce Committee: https://edworkforce.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413464
Testimonies by the Independent Representative and selected speakers: Rep: https://edworkforce.house.gov/uploadedfiles/6.30.2026_opening_statement.pdf
Author: https://edworkforce.house.gov/uploadedfiles/linda_flanagan_written_testimony.pdf
Hockey: https://edworkforce.house.gov/uploadedfiles/matt_kakabeeke_written_testimony.pdf
Sports: https://edworkforce.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bryan_finnerty_written_testimony.pdf
1a) Trump’s EO (2025) that proclaims his saving of all college sports: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/07/saving-college-sports/

1b) The latest EO (2026) that will invalidate certain state laws in education related sports activities! https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/09/2026-06961/urgent-national-action-to-save-college-sports

2) Project Play: https://projectplay.org/
(As part of the Aspen Institute, you know the Common Core agenda, SEL and all that connects is present. My archives on Aspen: https://www.commoncorediva.com/?s=Aspen+Institute)
2a) Project Play’s governance: https://projectplay.org/sports-governance

2b) Project Play’s Bill of Rights: https://projectplay.org/childrens-rights-and-sports AND
https://www.sporthumanrights.org/childrightsandsportsalliance

3) NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Assoc.)
History of NCAA: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/5/4/history.aspx

3a) Current governance is volunteer based: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/2/9/governance.aspx

3b) NCAA and mental health: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2016/5/2/mental-health-best-practices.aspx

3c) NCAA and ‘career readiness’: https://www.ncaa.org/news/2026/6/4/media-center-student-athletes-report-strong-confidence-in-career-readiness-future-opportunities.aspx

3d) NCAA (2015): https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2015/9/14/ncaa-scholarships-and-grants.aspx

3e) The Sports Lobbying ‘industry’ is not only massive, but wealthy & powerful: https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/issues/summary?cycle=2026&id=SPO
AND
Helping compliance between feds, schools & students: https://athliance.com/

4) Pell Grants were mentioned in the hearing above. From 2025: https://www.clasp.org/blog/congress-is-weaponizing-federal-law-against-college-athletes-by-cutting-pell-grant-access-and-stripping-labor-protections/

5) Cost concerns were mentioned in the hearing above, so a bit of context:
Years to pay: https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/45467505/judge-grants-final-approval-house-v-ncaa-settlement

5a) What’s NIL (aside from something the feds want to regulate)? https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/7/9/name-image-likeness.aspx

5b) The feds and Title 9: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3617&context=mlr

5bi) US Dept of Ed & Title 9: https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/civil-rights-laws/title-ix-and-sex-discrimination

AND https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-celebrates-june-second-annual-title-ix-month

5c) https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-investigate-title-ix-violations-athletics

5d) federal laws & sports: https://law.marquette.edu/national-sports-law-institute/united-states-federal-government-sports-research-resources

6) Why the feds in sports is a bad thing:
From 2009: Feds should stay out of sports: https://utdailybeacon.com/103664/opinion/congress-should-stay-out-of-sports-issues/

6b) More recent: https://www.thealpenanews.com/opinion/2026/06/keep-politicians-out-of-college-sports/

AND https://www.ntu.org/publications/detail/keep-the-federal-government-on-the-sidelines-of-college-sports

7) Homeschool Sports Groups may have to comply with the NCAA: https://www.facebook.com/NationalHomeschoolSports/

7b) The HSG’s ‘Getting Started Guide’: https://www.hspn.net/docs/gettingstarted.pdf

7c) The NC’s Homeschool Sports group does comply with the NCAA: https://www.ncheac.com/

8) Congress’s current bills on sports:
Introduced in 2025, this bill from the Senate claims ‘fair play for women’ but needs to increase data tracking to pull this off: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/543/text?s=1&r=1&hl=S+543

(Sister bill from the House: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1183 )
8b) Introduced in mid 2025 & active as of late 2025, this is the SCORE Act from the House:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4312/text?s=4&r=1&hl=HR+4312

(deals with ‘protecting’ a student’s ability to earn NIL)
8c) Also seeing a federal hand in NIL are HR 9137: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4312/text?s=4&r=1&hl=HR+4312

S 4668: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4668

8d) This House bill amends the Higher Education Act in the name of college sports AND
ties to school food: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5812/text?s=7&r=1&hl=HR+5812

8e) HR 2663 seeks to have Congress establish a new college level sports association to REPLACE the NCAA:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2663/text?s=10&r=1&hl=HR+2663

8f) S1469: Allows Congress to establish a set of bargaining rights for college athletes:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2469/text?s=2&r=1&hl=S+2469

(Sister bill in the House (HR 4693: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4693 )

8g) S955: Allows Congress to investigate the NCAA: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/955/text?s=3&r=1&hl=S955
(Sister bill HR 4693: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3976/text

Related & Relevant:
1) From ResearchGate: a historical review of the governance of sports in the US: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344656928_The_Governance_of_Sport_in_the_USA

2) “Sportswashing” is not a term we hear very much in the US, but should know. It’s used globally and is directly tied to human rights (especially in compliance with the SDGs): https://www.humanrightsresearch.org/post/sportswashing

3) “Sportswashing” as defined by the UK Parliament (the US and UK share so much collusion when it comes to education): https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/sportswashing-history-governing-bodies-state-investments-and-english-football-club-ownership/

4) From the “Guardian” (UK), their look into the US’s subsidizing of sports: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jul/04/usa-olympic-sports-government-funding-support

Related/archived, but also factors in: https://www.commoncorediva.com/2020/04/22/b-s-for-parents/