How Congress Refused to Save the NCAA From Itself

The SCORE Act, a proposed legislative measure aimed at addressing the financial dynamics of college sports, has been withdrawn from consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill was designed to give the NCAA and its member institutions immunity from antitrust laws, which would allow them to regulate the financial compensation of college athletes, particularly concerning name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreements. The NCAA argued that such regulations were necessary to preserve the integrity of amateur athletics.

However, the Act faced strong opposition from a coalition of conservative Republicans, progressive Democrats, state attorneys general, and the Congressional Black Caucus. Critics argued that the Act would strip college athletes of their economic rights and perpetuate financial inequities in college sports. The coalition saw the bill as a means for institutions to continue exploiting athletes while avoiding the financial responsibilities mandated by recent court rulings.

The NCAA has faced increasing legal challenges since the Supreme Court's 2021 decision in NCAA v. Alston, which criticized the organization for its restrictive