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

Are lawmakers ready to come together for a Bi-Partisan bill that would protect college sports in the aftermath of the House settlement? In the upcoming ‘College Sports Act’ that is set to be presented this week, commissioners from the Power Five conferences have also voiced their support for this new legislation that could wrangle some of the biggest issues that are of concern moving forward. 

On Tuesday, two different bills were introduced by lawmakers that are aiming to address some of the problems that have plagued college sports over the past few years, especially the NCAA. 

Over the past few years, there has been a massive push from athletic directors and commissioners to have Congress intervene and adopt a bill that could give them some type of protection in this growing age of college athletics. 

U.S. Representatives Lisa McClain (R-Mich.)and Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.) introduced the new bill that is now making the rounds. At the same time, Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R., Fla) and Rep. Brett Guthrie (R., K.Y.) presented a discussion draft for an NIL bill that is being called the SCORE act. 

In the first mentioned bipartisan legislation, the following points were laid out for discussion. 

• NIL Rights: Codifies the right of college athletes to receive compensation for their name, image, and likeness. Prohibits the NCAA and schools from penalizing student-athletes for NIL activity.
• Extended Academic Access: Allows student-athletes to use their scholarships to complete a degree within 10 years, even if they leave school early.
• Health & Life Skills Education: Requires Division I, II, and III schools participating in a Division I sport to provide training on mental health, sexual violence prevention, nutrition, career preparation, NIL education, and more.
• Medical Protections: Requires schools to cover the medical costs of sports-related injuries for at least two years after the athlete leaves the institution.
• Scholarship Security: Prohibits schools from canceling or reducing scholarships based on athletic performance, injury, or roster management.
• Agent Oversight: Establishes agent registration and disclosure requirements to protect athletes from exploitation.
• Employment Status: Prohibits student-athletes from being classified as employees of their university, preserving the collegiate nonprofessional model.
• Federal Preemption: Creates a single national standard, overriding inconsistent state laws to ensure clarity for athletes, schools, and sponsors.

‘SCORE’ Act Draft Has The Vote Of Power-Five Commissioners

While there is one bill that was introduced, the ‘Autonomy Conferences’ praised a discussion draft that has been making the rounds on Tuesday as well. 

In what is being called the ‘SCORE Act’, leaders from the Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC released a statement on Tuesday morning that praised what could potentially be coming down the pipeline over the next few days. 

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce is scheduled to broach this topic during a hearing scheduled for Thursday. The key talking points of the draft were highlighted by the statement released by Power-Five commissioners on Tuesday. 

• Replacing the confusing patchwork of state NIL laws with a national standard ensuring all student-athletes are treated fairly, no matter where they play.
• Affirming student-athletes' right to profit from their name, image and likeness.
• Requiring academic support and ensuring access to mental health and well-being resources for student-athletes.
• Prohibiting student-athletes from being considered employees of an institution, conference, or athletic association.
• Protecting rules that serve the educational mission of college

What does all of this mean? This is simply a way for the conferences and House settlement ‘College Sports Commission’ to set guardrails around college athletics. A push to have some sort of federal legislation has been the main point of emphasis, ramping up again recently as the House settlement was approved. 

"This discussion draft comes at a time of historic transition for college athletics," the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC said in a joint statement on Tuesday morning. "In the absence of federal standards, student-athletes and schools have been forced to navigate a fractured regulatory framework for too long. 

"Following the historic House settlement, this draft legislation represents a very encouraging step toward delivering the national clarity and accountability that college athletics desperately needs. We urge lawmakers to build on this momentum and deliver the national solution that athletes, coaches, and schools deserve."

Will we finally see Congress pass some sort of bill that would satisfy all parties involved? That's still up for debate, and congressional leaders will meet on Thursday to continue discussing the latest bills that have been presented. 

No matter what, it doesn't sound like college commissioners are going to stop their lobbying for federal legislation on how to fix college athletics.