- Sen. John Curtis praised Lance Holtzclaw's diplomatic response during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
- Holtzclaw was "pressed" by Curtis on which team he supported, with Holtzclaw replying the University of Utah, his current team.
- The hearing discussed the Protect College Sports Act, which has bipartisan support, but is still in the works.
SALT LAKE CITY — As senators consider reforming the world of college sports and developing a national framework to regulate athletes' name, image and likeness contracts, Utah Sen. John Curtis took the opportunity to press one student-athlete on his school loyalty.
Lance Holtzclaw, a defensive end for the University of Utah, participated in a panel testifying before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Wednesday as senators explored ways to reform the world of college sports. But Holtzclaw has a past playing for other schools — prompting Curtis to test his allegiance.
"Mr. Holtzclaw, my colleague alluded to the fact that you have played for a lot of different teams, and this wouldn't be a good sports hearing without a little banter," Curtis said. "So, I'm kind of curious: What is your favorite team?"
"And just in case you need any help," he trailed off, as he displayed a University of Utah ballcap.
"I wouldn't call any team my favorite, but I do represent the team I currently play for, which is the University of Utah," Holtzclaw answered in an even tone.
The diplomatic answer elicited laughs from senators on the panel.
"You should be in politics," Curtis responded.
"OK, that's damn diplomatic," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and chairman of the committee, cut in. "Sen. Curtis, you better be worried that he may file for election."
But Curtis sounded unworried.
"Oh, he looks far more comfortable in a uniform than he does in that suit, I'll tell you that," the Utah senator responded.
Curtis then questioned Holtzclaw about his own experience playing for different schools and navigating different systems in managing his contracts. Holtzclaw, who previously played for the University of Washington, said a national framework for NIL contracts would help streamline the process to "keep everybody on the same page regarding what we can and cannot do."
"It makes things a little easier in some respects," Holtzclaw said. "The way I would look at it is that it eliminates a lot of the gray area. That's a big part of what we should do when we're dealing with people who don't always have the knowledge of what they can and cannot do and who may not know the legal frameworks at all times."
Holtzclaw was joined on the panel by a number of other well-known sports figures, including former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould and Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua.
The hearing comes as senators consider the Protect College Sports Act, which would allow the NCAA to limit student-athlete transfers and eligibility, prevent coaches from leaving teams before the end of the season, enforce spending caps, and more.
The bipartisan bill has garnered some support on Capitol Hill, but some lawmakers worry it needs more work before it can be considered for a vote.
