A Game Changer for College Athletics
On a crisp, fall Saturday afternoon, nothing beats the electric energy of a college campus as it gears up for game day. The thunderous roar of the crowd in the stadium, the anticipation of kickoff, and the excitement in the air can only be because of one thing: college football. Behind every play is a tremendous amount of hard work, grit, and dedication brought on by weeks and months of preparation, training days, and practices.
Today’s college athletes combine unparalleled talent with rigorous dedication. Advances in training, technology, and safety enable them to always be at the height of their physical best, gain a greater understanding of how the game can be played, and prepare them for future professional opportunities when their time on campus comes to an end. Being a student athlete is a year-round endeavor because college athletics are year-round. Players and coaches know that off-season actions and efforts determine success during the season. While the rules are standard for every team and player on the field during the season, with a team of referees to throw flags and enforce penalties, the off-season field is now far from level, with no referees.
This is why it has been disheartening to see the change that pay-for-play and the transfer portal have had on one of America’s favorite pastimes. When thinking of college athletics using terms from professional sports, the current college landscape could be described as free agency with no salary caps. Layer on top of that a patchwork of state laws designed to boost funding for the state’s athletic programs, and most believe the time for change in the college sports world is now. Athletes who have the opportunity to receive compensation for their name, image, and likeness (NIL) should be a positive thing; however, we are currently experiencing a “wild west” of college sports where each team and state gets to make their own rules.
You may cringe like I did to think of Congress regulating college athletics, however, there is a need for its intervention following the Supreme Court’s ruling, which allowed for pay-for-play in college sports. This is why I am a cosponsor of the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act. This piece of legislation will offer a much-overdue solution by establishing a clear, nationwide NIL standard to empower college students as they receive compensation, transfer eligibility, and institutional responsibilities.
As a former college athlete, it is a great privilege to bring the understanding and perspective of what it looks like to compete at the college level to the legislation that is being crafted in Washington. We must preserve what makes college athletics so special, while also adjusting to the realities these student athletes are facing today.
The SCORE Act not only addresses current challenges but creates a path forward for the next generation of college athletics. Student athletes devote countless hours and incredible determination to excel on and off the field. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to honor their dedication and continue advocating for commonsense legislation that sets each student athlete up for success as they work toward their future career goals.