Good morning, Chicago.

Thanks to Congress and rulings from the Supreme Court, the college sports landscape has radically changed over the past few years. Sen. Ted Cruz told the editorial board this week that changes to name, image and likeness rules, as well as transfers, has created a system that mostly benefits big schools and hurts smaller programs.

Cruz’s plan to fix what he calls “utter chaos” is the bi-partisan Protect College Sports Act, which the editorial board urges Congress to pass in its first editorial today. “A reasonable person should not want schools to be encouraged to function like mere businesses just to win a ball game” the board writes.

In its second piece today, the board wonders why the Chicago Teachers Union and others continue to relitigate the closure of 50 public schools 13 years ago under Rahm Emanuel’s administration. The Chicago Board of Education is set to vote on the district’s budget Thursday and in commentary, the vice president of the board, Angel L. Velez, urges Chicago Public Schools to consider all of its options before approving a plan that includes layoffs.

Speaking of Rahm, Laura Washington considers what would happen if both him and JB Pritzker enter the 2028 presidential race. Both are long shots, Washington writes, but bring contrasting styles and politics to the table.

Lastly, don’t miss a piece from Rep. Fred Crespo calling out Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.

Thanks for reading.

— Grace Miserocchi, opinion editor

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