# McEnroe urges Congress to cap foreign recruits in college sports

> Tennis legend Patrick McEnroe pushes for 20% cap on international athletes in NCAA programs to protect American student-athletes.
- Title: McEnroe urges Congress to cap foreign recruits in college…
- Summary: Tennis legend Patrick McEnroe pushes for 20% cap on international athletes in NCAA programs to protect American student-athletes. Capping international…
- Keywords: patrick mcenroe, ncaa, college sports, international recruits, congress, student athletes, tennis, university athletics, funding, olympic sports, revenue sports, news
- Source: OutKick — https://foxnews.com/outkick-sports/tennis-great-patrick-mcenroe-urges-congress-cap-foreign-recruits-protect-american-student-athletes
- Author: Alejandro Avila
- Published: 2026-09-17T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: patrick mcenroe, ncaa, college sports, international recruits, congress, student athletes, tennis, university athletics, funding, olympic sports, revenue sports, news
## McEnroe testifies on Capitol Hill
Tennis legend Patrick McEnroe urged Congress to cap international athletes at 20% to protect American student-athletes.

> Football and basketball are essentially professional now, and universities are under increasing pressure to fund them.
## American athletes disappearing
Only two American players out of 12 competed in a college tennis championship, with one American in an ACC match.

> This is collegiate tennis, and we’re losing a pathway of dreams and opportunities for American kids.
## 70% international recruits
In Division I tennis, international athletes now occupy nearly 70% of roster spots.

> I think of it as the rungs on a ladder. If you keep taking away the rungs, the kids will eventually give up.
## Funding shift in college sports
Universities are shifting funding toward revenue-generating sports like football and basketball.

> The sports being squeezed are tennis, wrestling and swimming, the Olympic sports that don’t generate revenue.
## Walberg proposal
Rep. Tim Walberg introduced legislation to cap international athletes at 20% in NCAA programs.

> I don’t believe the purpose of that funding is to give every roster spot to international athletes.
## Olympic disparity
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, 1,200 NCAA athletes competed but only 386 were American.

> We have the best training, coaches, facilities and competition in collegiate sports, and we provide all of that to international athletes.
## McEnroe's stance
McEnroe argues capping international recruits protects American student-athletes without harming international participation.

> I’m an international person, but that doesn’t mean international athletes should completely take over an American collegiate athletic system.
## Key takeaway

Capping international recruits at 20% would restore focus on developing domestic talent in college sports.