Collegiate sports are teetering on the edge of another big shake-up in how athletes get paid, thanks to a fresh proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives.
This all follows the House v. NCAA decision, which let colleges pay athletes a piece of their TV and marketing money.
With universities scrambling to adjust, Congress has stepped in with House Resolution 4312—the SCORE Act—which could hand the NCAA more power over the whole process.
What does this mean for college sports? Well, plenty of people have opinions, and the details are worth digging into.
The House v. NCAA Ruling: A Game-Changer
The House v. NCAA ruling hit on July 1 and, honestly, it flipped collegiate athletics on its head.
For years, the NCAA tightly controlled how money reached players, insisting on amateurism as the core of college sports.
Now, schools can share up to $20.5 million from TV and marketing deals directly with athletes.
Joel Lulla, who teaches at the Moody College of Communication, put it bluntly: *It is all supposed to be ‘college athletics,’ and so that’s kind of the joke here,* he said.
*It’s really become not much to do with college anymore, and not much to do with graduating and getting a degree.*
The SCORE Act: Reinforcing NCAA’s Regulatory Power
After the House v. NCAA ruling, lawmakers introduced the SCORE Act.
This bill, now moving through key House committees, aims to restore some of the NCAA’s authority over how schools share revenue with players.
If it makes it into law, the NCAA would get back some regulatory teeth that antitrust laws had dulled.
Those same antitrust laws have fueled a bunch of lawsuits from athletes who say NCAA rules are too strict.
The NCAA hasn’t spelled out exactly what new rules it would set if the bill passes—so that’s still a big question mark.
Provisions and Support for Student Athletes
The SCORE Act isn’t just about NCAA power; it throws in a few things for student athletes too:
- Academic Assistance: Schools would have to offer more academic support.
- Legal Help: Athletes would get help negotiating their name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals.
- Health Insurance: The bill says universities must provide health insurance for athletes.
Tim Buckley, who heads external affairs for the NCAA, has backed these parts of the bill.
Some smaller athletic conferences seem on board, but the Southeastern Conference—which includes UT—has stayed quiet so far.
Opposition and Criticism
Not everyone’s thrilled about the SCORE Act.
Attorneys general from states with powerhouse programs—think Tennessee, Florida, Ohio—have slammed the bill.
They warn that giving the NCAA too much control could end up hurting athletes.
*Simply put, the SCORE Act consolidates too much power in the hands of the NCAA,* they wrote to the House.
*The NCAA is a cartel that has consistently abused its monopolistic control even in the absence of a legislative blank check to do so.*
There’s also pushback from Democrats in Congress and pro athlete unions like the NFLPA and MLBPA.
They argue the bill would stop college athletes from being considered university employees, which means no bargaining rights.
Joel Lulla, for one, isn’t convinced the bill will make it through Congress with all this criticism swirling around.
The Road Ahead: Will the SCORE Act Pass?
The SCORE Act has picked up some support and could pass in the House with just Republican votes. Still, its future in the U.S. Senate? That’s a whole different story.
Lulla’s not convinced it’ll make it through. He points out that the bill would need Democrats on board in the Senate, and honestly, he thinks that’s *highly unlikely.*
Congress is coming back from its August recess in September. Maybe then we’ll actually see where the SCORE Act stands.
If you want to dig deeper, check out the full article from The Daily Texan.
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