Bill Could Pull Scholarships From Foreign Athletes

Two state lawmakers say they want to keep foreign athletes from getting scholarships to play on Minnesota college teams.

Rep. Bob Dettmer, R-Forest Lake, and Sen. Ray Vandeveer, R-Forest Lake, introduced legislation on March 2 that would ban state money from being used directly or indirectly for an athlete who is not a citizen of the United States.


"We just feel that if we're going to give state using taxpayers money that we want the opportunity for students in the United States first," said Dettmer.

He said the push behind the legislation came from a constituent who was a former University of Minnesota men's hockey player.

"As a young college athlete, he thought it should go to Minnesota or U.S. citizens," Dettmer said.

The legislation would likely not affect any scholarships at the University of Minnesota. According to University Spokesman Dan Wolzer, state money does not fund athletic scholarships. Any state money goes toward academic support or the marching band.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) schools, like St. Cloud State University and Minnesota State University-Mankato would be affected.

Overall, the number of foreign student-athletes at these schools is a small percentage compared to the overall student-athlete population. The majority are hockey players but a handful play tennis, golf, baseball and others.

St. Cloud State University athletic director Morris Kurtz said the legislation would have an impact on the school's hockey team. More importantly, though, he said it would have an adverse reaction on the school itself.

"They are wonderful additions," Kurtz said. "We welcome them, their backgrounds, their cultures and their differences, and we learn from them. So it would certainly disappointing not only from a student athlete standpoint, but just from a student point."

No hearing has been scheduled yet for the legislation.