SCORE Act Fumbled: Congress Tries To Tackle NIL Chaos, Gets Run Over By Lane Kiffin’s LSU Payday

What was once thought to be an easy path to the Senate floor, the SCORE Act, which has been long debated over the past two years, fell apart this week before it could be voted on in the House. And, Lane Kiffin's new contract with LSU was a main point of contention between congressional leaders, thanks to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Can you imagine college athletics getting any crazier than what we witnessed this week between Kiffin, Ole Miss and LSU? 

Oh, think again. 

House Settlement Aftermath: Lawmakers Present Two Different NIL Bills That Aim To Regulate College Athletics

I've said from the start that the country has better things to worry about right now than having to argue over protecting organizations like the NCAA or even the new College Sports Commission from lawsuits that would come from trying to limit what athletes could make in the future. 

Don't forget, with the House settlement passing, this opened a whole new can of worms. Schools can now directly pay athletes for their services, with a salary cap set at over $20.5 million per year to be divided up between different sports on college campuses. 

This hit a boiling point on Wednesday, with new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin being a point of emphasis. No, we're not kidding. 

The ‘Lane Kiffin Protection Act’ Is One Way To Describe It

There was always going to be infighting in regard to the timing and the optics of this entire ordeal. I just didn’t expect a college football move would be a major talking point, though Lane Kiffin does draw headlines. 

At the same time as congressional leaders were trying to garner the votes that would protect the NCAA, Lane Kiffin signed a deal that would pay him over $90 million to coach the LSU Tigers. 

Ole Miss AD Keith Carter Debunks Lane Kiffin’s Timeline: Players Begging Him To Stay Was 'Overstatement'

Speaker Mike Johnson from Louisiana and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La) took the brunt of criticism from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Thursday during a press conference to discuss ongoing issues that should take priority over a bill that would protect the NCAA, along with others. 

"Why would Mike Johnson and Steve Scalise think it was a good idea to bring the Lane Kiffin Protection Act to the floor of the House of Representatives? Legislation that would do nothing to benefit college athletes and everything to benefit coaches like Lane Kiffin, who got out of town, abandoned his players in the middle of a playoff run to go get a $100 million contract from LSU, the home state of Mike Johnson and Steve Scalise. 

"People are asking the question, why did you decide to bring this bill this week with all the other issues that the country is demanding that we focus on. "

People in Johnson's office told OutKick that they are aware of the statements made, but have no comment on the matter.
 

According to multiple people connected to the situation in Washington, the Lane Kiffin saga has not helped this week when it comes to public perception. 

A number of representatives have received push back, with the new LSU football coach being used as a prop as to why the college athletics business is hard to take seriously when a head coach is bailing on their team during such a pivotal time. 

Also, add the comments from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry last month pertaining to LSU having to pay the massive $54 million buyout for former head coach Brian Kelly, and congressional leaders are not going to get much sympathy from those looking to prevent an organization like the NCAA from having to answer for certain aspects of potential antitrust cases down the road. 

During his SEC Championship press conference on Thursday, commissioner Greg Sankey even commented on the ongoing SCORE ACT debate, mentioning he was in Washington on Wednesday. 

"There was an opportunity to vote yesterday in the House. It did not happen," Sankey noted. "We'll continue in our educational efforts. We're going to take the time needed to try to address the questions that are being asked by members of Congress. Again, this is on both sides of the aisle. 

"The fact that there's so much interest, I think, is an indication of the serious nature of college sports, the importance to our nation, our culture."

Yes, this is where we are at right now in college athletics, along with the politics that come with it.