WASHINGTON — Minutes after the completion of the 11th congressional hearing on college athletics, the event’s two star witnesses, NCAA president Charlie Baker and UCLA quarterback Chase Griffin, shook hands, exchanged pleasantries and posed for a photograph.
The two men, each having espoused drastically different views on the future of college athletics, came together, fittingly, within the marbled walls of Capitol Hill, where disagreements among lawmakers usually devolve into divisive spats.
In many ways, Baker and Griffin represent a view from each of the parties of Congress over legislation around college athletics: One is against athletes becoming employees (Republicans), and the other seems somewhat fine with it (Democrats).