Baker believes that the possibility of student-athletes becoming paid employees of their institutes poses a threat to the survival of many university sport programmes.

"I think it's pretty clear that Division 2 and Division 3 schools would get out of the interscholastic collegiate sports business and turn themselves into club sports," said Baker as reported by The Boston Globe.

The 66-year-old former Governor of Massachusetts was speaking in a testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington D.C.

He was one of six witnesses called before one of the Senate Committees that has been established to explore if Congress should regulate NIL concerns.

Baker became NCAA President in March and has expressed his view that university athletes should be able to make money from their NIL rights.

However, he is against them receiving payment directly from their colleges and instead from the likes of sponsorship and advertising.

The NCAA had claimed last year it was in the process of "transforming the structure and mission to meet future needs" after announcing a new constitution in January.

Constitution changes follow a United States Supreme Court ruling in June 2021, which backed athletes' compensation rights, and several states passing legislation which allowed college athletes to profit from their NIL.

Student-athletes were previously unable to profit from their own likeness, with the NCAA stressing the need for them to be amateurs, but the state legislation led to the governing body relaxing its rules.

Since taking over as President, Baker has endeavoured to further NIL and has made multiple trips to the capital city to lobby legislators for a Federal mandate. 

He has overseen the development of a registration process for NIL service providers, such as agents. 

This would create standard contract terms aimed to defend athletes.