Avery Brundage, who held similar declaratory power as IOC President from 1952 to 1972, had assumed the office after heading the AAU.

Congress adopted the Act in response to criticisms of the AAU, effectively removing that organization from any governance role.

Each NGB in turn establishes the rules for selecting the United States Olympic Team and promotes competition in that sport.

[3][4] The Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act is a United States law (codified at 36 U.S.C.

It is an update to the previous Amateur Sports Act of 1978 that considers changes like the elimination of the amateurism requirement for participation in most international sports (the admission of professionals was caused by the extensive cheating of the Soviet Union that listed its best pros as soldiers and broke the Olympic rules),[5][6] expansion of the USOC's role to include the Paralympic Games, increased athlete representation, and protection of the USOC against lawsuits involving athletes' right to participate in the Olympic Games.