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Rep. Burgess Owens said he opposes student-athletes becoming employees of universities.

He said he supports federal guardrails on payments to athletes amid NIL changes and is cosponsoring a bill to restrict athlete employment.

Owens worries about impacts on amateur sports culture and potential legal issues if college athletes are paid.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Rep. Burgess Owens on Thursday said he opposes student-athletes becoming employees of universities and that he's in favor of the federal government putting more guardrails around payments to college athletes amid a rapidly evolving name, image and likeness environment.

Owens, who played football at the University of Miami and spent a decade in the NFL before entering politics, described athletics as "a real foundation

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