NIL Bill Vote Cancelled in U.S. House

Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives has pulled a bill addressing establishment of a framework for college student-athlete compensation just hours before it was scheduled for a vote. The Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act was on the House schedule for Wednesday, before the office of Majority Whip Tom Emmer announced yesterday afternoon its consideration would be postponed. The notice did not provide a reason for the cancellation.

“The SCORE Act was pulled from consideration because it simply didn’t have the votes, a clear sign that Members on both sides saw it for what it was: a gift to the NCAA and Power Two conferences at the expense of athletes,” Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) wrote on X.

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Alabama Congressman Co- Sponsors the Legislation

Alabama Congressman Shomari Figures (D-2nd District) is one of the bill's sponsors and one of the few Democrats supporting the act. The legislation would provide guidelines around name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals. It would also pre-empt any state NIL laws. Alabama currently does not have its own NIL law, but dozens of other states have conflicting laws.

Florida Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis, one of the other sponsors, spoke of the need during hearings in June. "This bill upholds the integrity of college sports and strengthens protections for student athletes who make it all possible."

“College athletics are a vital part of American culture, and it’s clear—from both student-athletes and universities—that a national framework is long overdue,” Bilirakis stated at the hearing entitled WINNING OFF THE FIELD: LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL TO STABILIZE NIL AND COLLEGE ATHLETICS.

Some key points in the bill are:

• Allowing athletic conferences (such as the SEC) to set parameters around student-athletes transferring between institutions, eligibility and recruitment.
• College athletes would be prohibited from being employees of universities, conferences or athletic associations.
• Schools or universities with high media rights revenues would not be allowed to use non-athlete student fees to help fund intercollegiate athletic programs. Other schools would be required to post publicly how student fees are used for athletics.

When asked by Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa, Alabama Senior U.S. Senator and former Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville would not say if he supported the SCORE Act. However, in recent interviews on the 95.3 The Bear Steve and DC Morning Show, Tuberville has declared that "College football is broken and something must be done to keep it from being ruined."

Congressional Black Caucus Opposition

There has been bipartisan support for and opposition to the bill. Most notable opposition comes from the Congressional Black Caucus, who are concerned the bill does not adequately protect student-athletes and gives too much power to the NCAA.

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clark (D-NY 9th District) voiced the caucus opposition, "We can all agree that college athletes need stronger protections. Unfortunately, the SCORE Act doesn’t provide them. It would permanently strip college athletes of labor and employment rights, including the right to unionize; prevent them from challenging harmful or anticompetitive conduct; and grant the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and conferences sweeping immunity when their actions jeopardize athletes’ education, health, safety, or financial well-being."

Recently, UA Track and Field athlete Barry Evans addressed the Congressional Black Caucus about NIL. He serves as the Chair of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and representing Alabama athletes at the NCAA Convention.

"What’s most important to me is that the SCORE Act prioritizes student-athletes’ well-being without turning us into employees of our institutions." Evans testified. "My teammates and I want our coaches to remain mentors and leaders, not bosses and coworkers. We want our athletic directors to manage our programs efficiently, not operate as HR managers. And we want our classroom experience to mirror that of our non-athlete classmates and remain just as important as our time on the field or in the locker room."

Evans appearance in Washington received a congratulations from Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey in an X (formerly twitter) post. "Barry is one of the many great leaders among the SEC student-athlete advisory group!"

Even Greater Opposition in the Senate

If the bill makes it out of the house it will face even tougher opposition in the senate where there is a separate bill Known as the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement Act, or “SAFE Act.” The bill “gives all athletes Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rights, establishes uniform health and safety standards, protects scholarships and requires agents to register with a state and abide by clear contract requirements, including a 5 percent cap on fees,” according to Democrats.

It is not known at this time if the SCORE Act will be brought back to the house floor for a vote or not.