As the debate over which schools should make the 12-team College Football Playoff field rages on, another heated discussion is taking place in Congress about the future of college sports.
Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas) has proposed a pretty radical idea to address what he sees as an untenable situation in college athletics.
During a House Rules Committee meeting on December 1, Roy suggested that the federal government should fully intervene to fix ongoing issues like the size of major conferences and the financial side of college sports.
This discussion revolved around the SCORE Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at providing a federal framework to regulate college sports.
The proposed legislation has sparked a lot of debate, with major conferences like the Big Ten and SEC pushing for its passage.
The SCORE Act: A Federal Framework for College Sports
The SCORE Act (Student Compensation And Opportunity Through Rights and Endorsements) is designed to create and enforce national rules regulating college sports.
The bill allows the NCAA and possibly other governing bodies like the College Sports Commission to set caps on how much schools can spend on NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals and establish rules on player transfers.
Notably, athletes would be allowed to transfer at least once and be immediately eligible.
Key Provisions of the SCORE Act
- Cap on NIL Deals: The NCAA would be permitted to set a cap on how much schools can spend on NIL deals.
- Player Transfer Rules: Athletes can transfer at least once and be immediately eligible.
- Fair-Market-Value Assessment: Athletes’ NIL deals with third parties would be subject to fair-market-value assessment.
- Conflict of Interest: Universities would be allowed to prohibit athletes from having NIL partnerships that conflict with existing school sponsorship deals.
- Legal Protections: The bill would shield the NCAA, the Commission, conferences, and schools from antitrust and state-court lawsuits.
Rep. Chip Roy’s Critique of the Current System
Rep. Chip Roy, a former college athlete and a three-year letter winner on the golf team at Virginia, had some harsh words for the current state of college sports.
He described the SCORE Act as a band-aid on a gunshot wound and took aim at the college football coaching carousel.
Over the past two months, four of the five largest buyouts in the sport’s history have happened, each topping $30 million.
The Coaching Carousel: A Financial Abyss
Roy questioned why coaches are allowed to walk away and get paid not to coach for years, calling it insane.
He specifically called out the situation with Lane Kiffin as an absolute abomination.
Roy argued that this isn’t how a market should work, saying college sports shouldn’t be treated as an NFL light.
He admitted that college sports can compete with the NFL for revenue and entertainment dollars, but he thinks the current system is just broken.
The Push for Federal Intervention
Roy suggested that if the federal government is going to get involved, it should go all in to address the mess in college sports.
He pointed out how odd it is to have 16 teams in the SEC, 17 in the ACC, and 19 in the Big Ten, with schools like Stanford and Berkeley in the Atlantic Coast Conference just for money.
He called the situation laughable and a massive money-grab.
Support and Opposition
While the SCORE Act has picked up support from big conferences like the Big Ten and SEC, it’s also faced plenty of criticism.
Roy’s comments tap into a bigger worry about the commercialization of college sports and the need for a fairer system.
The Future of College Sports
As Congress keeps talking, the future of college athletics is still up in the air.
The proposed legislation could shake up how college sports are regulated, but it also raises big questions about the federal government’s role in a space that’s usually been run by states and schools themselves.
What’s Next?
Roy, now in his fourth term in Congress and running for Texas attorney general, finds himself in a spot where he could really shape the direction of college sports. He’s been vocal, pointing out flaws and pushing for changes that aim for a fairer, more workable system.
Will the SCORE Act actually make it through? It’s tough to say, and honestly, the ripple effects on college sports are anyone’s guess. The conversation is definitely still alive and kicking.
If you want to dig deeper into what’s happening with the SCORE Act and all the back-and-forth, check out the full article on USA Today.
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