With the passage of the Professional and Amateur Sports Act in 1992 (PASPA -- P.L. 102-559), Congress prohibited the further legalization of sports gambling in the United States. However, the final legislation included a "grandfather" clause permitting the continuance of sports gambling activity already authorized by state law. Four states were included in the federal exemption but only one, Nevada, currently allows betting on college sports. Before 1992, states retained the right to determine the scope of legalized sports gambling, but with the passage of PASPA the jurisdiction over sports wagering was transferred to the federal government.

Critics of our efforts will claim that this remains a states' rights issue, not a federal one. But this argument is moot, because Congress already has determined that it is a federal issue with the passage of PASPA. In addition, while Nevada is the only state where legal gambling on collegiate and Olympic sporting events occurs, Nevada's gaming regulations prohibit gambling on any of Nevada's own teams because of the potential to jeopardize the integrity of those sporting events.

We both consider ourselves to be advocates of states' rights, but in our eyes that means a state's authority to determine how best to govern within that state's own boundaries -- not the authority to set laws that allow a state to impose its policies on every other state while exempting itself. Gambling on college sports, both legal and illegal, threatens the integrity of the game and that threat extends beyond any one state's border.

The frequency of point-shaving scandals over the last decade is a clear indication that legal gambling on college sports stretches beyond the borders of Nevada, impacting the integrity of other states' sporting events. Two of the most recent scandals involved large amounts of money wagered in Nevada on teams in Arizona and Illinois. We can imagine no greater blight on a college or university than that of a scandal involving players on an institution's team shaving points or fixing the outcome of a game. While we understand the Nevada casinos cooperated in prosecuting this illegal activity, they did not prohibit it from occurring. In order to prevent future point-shaving scandals from occurring, we must close the loophole in PASPA.

We are aware that the NCAA has taken significant steps to address the very real problems associated with betting on college sports. The adoption of policies by the NCAA membership to prohibit all sports gambling by campus athletics personnel, student-athletes and NCAA employees is a step in the right direction. NCAA-sponsored educational programs, broadcasts of anti-sports-gambling public service announcements during championship games, research in the area of youth gambling behavior and work with law enforcement officials to crack down on illegal sports wagering are all important to an overall effort to reduce college sports betting and its harmful effects on sport and student-athletes. However, these efforts, as important as they are, have not been enough to curb betting on college sports.

A contributing factor in the prevalence of college sports betting and a reason the NCAA's efforts alone are not enough to combat the problem is the media publication of Nevada-generated point spreads that fuel a much larger amount of illegal sports wagering. According to the commission, "Many Americans do not know that the majority of sports wagering in America is illegal. One reason Americans may not be aware of the illegality of sports wagering is that the Las Vegas 'line,' or point spread, is published in most of the 48 states where sports wagering is illegal."

It is our hope that if this legislation is enacted, there will be no moral or ethical basis for the publication of the gambling odds on college sports and that the nationwide "sports touts" advertisements, offering betting advice for a fee, will disappear.

We realize that a ban on collegiate sports gambling will not eliminate all gambling on college sports. However, a total ban will prevent another avenue for those participating in point-shaving scandals to spread out their money. If enacted, there will be no ambiguity about whether it is legal or illegal to bet on college sports. As part of a broader strategy to resensitize the public to the problems associated with college sports gambling, it will make a difference.

Passage of this legislation will depend on the support we in Congress receive from the colleges and universities across the United States. It is up to the presidents, chancellors, athletics directors and coaches to voice their support to Congress. We encourage all of you to contact your senators and representatives and urge them to help in our efforts to clean up the unseemly and corrupt influence that gambling has on our college campuses.

We cannot wait for another point-shaving scandal before Congress decides to act.