Gamers’ associations for the NFL, NBA, Main League Baseball, NHL and MLS issued a joint assertion Monday urging Congress to reject proposed laws that will grant the NCAA and its members an antitrust exemption to deal with NIL points.
The assertion was in response to the Scholar Compensation and Alternative by means of Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act, launched final week by members of the Home Power and Commerce Committee. A markup on the invoice is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Of their letter, the gamers’ associations warned that an antitrust exemption would allow the NCAA and its members to “collude to hurt athletes.”
“No matter progress the athletes have made has been a results of their use of the antitrust legal guidelines,” they wrote. “The SCORE Act would take that weapon away from them.”
The proposed laws from seven Republican and two Democratic sponsors prevents athletes from acquiring employment standing and mirrors lots of the phrases from the current Home vs. NCAA settlement. It might formally finish most administrative restrictions on athletes’ NIL compensation, nevertheless it permits faculties and conferences to ascertain what’s and isn’t permissible. Ought to the federal laws cross, it will override present NIL legal guidelines, which differ from state to state.
Earlier Monday, two members of Congress from the state of Washington, Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Rating Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Republican Rep. Michael Baumgartner, issued the same assertion urging the Home committee to delay the markup till there are vital modifications.
“The invoice seems to be a product of the richest conferences to cement into place the present energy construction in faculty athletics that would go away solely the wealthiest faculties capable of compete on the highest ranges of faculty athletics,” the assertion stated.
For those who thought the dissolution of the Pac-12 was a heist, the SCORE Act is the Nationwide Championship of all heists. This laws is an influence seize by the 2 greatest conferences that may go away athletes, coaches, and small and mid-sized establishments behind. My letter with… pic.twitter.com/qVX11z2h1y
— Sen. Maria Cantwell (@SenatorCantwell) July 14, 2025
All the Energy 5 conferences beforehand issued a press release endorsing the SCORE Act.
“Within the absence of federal requirements, student-athletes and faculties have been pressured to navigate a fractured regulatory framework for too lengthy,” they wrote. “Following the historic Home settlement, this invoice represents a really encouraging step towards delivering the nationwide readability and accountability that faculty athletics desperately wants.”
Final week, the NCAA stated in a press release that it “has made lengthy overdue modifications, mandating well being and wellness advantages and ushering in a brand new system for Division I packages to supply as much as 50 % of athletic division income to student-athletes, however a number of the most essential modifications can solely come from Congress.”
“This invoice displays many student-athletes’ priorities, and the NCAA is dedicated to working with Congress to construct a bipartisan path ahead that ensures the long-term success of faculty sports activities and the continued alternatives they supply to younger folks,” wrote Tim Buckley, the NCAA’s senior vice chairman of exterior affairs.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey additionally praised the invoice Monday.
“I believe what’s taking place in faculty athletics is a nonpartisan difficulty, however utilizing the everyday nomenclature, to have members of each of our main political events keen to step out and introduce the SCORE Act, is a constructive step,” he stated.The gamers’ associations’ letter famous that solely two industries in america have antitrust legislation exemptions: railroads and Main League Baseball (partially).
“The NCAA mustn’t have a clean test to impose (its) will on the monetary way forward for over 500,000 faculty athletes,” they wrote.
Justin Williams contributed to this story.
(Photograph of Capitol Constructing: Al Drago / Getty Photos)
