Press Release

TODAY  

Amid ongoing discussions on Capitol Hill about a national framework for name, image, and likeness (NIL), a coalition of players, legal experts, and consumer advocates spoke out against the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act of 2025 (H.R. 4312) and urged Congress to protect college athletes’ rights. 

 

Today’s brief also previewed a letter from former DOJ and FTC officials to Congressional leadership, outlining concerns about the SCORE Act’s proposed antitrust exemption and associated preemption of federal and state labor law. 

 

Highlights of today’s briefing are included below, with full remarks and copy of the antitrust letter attached.  

 

"We don’t want athletes to have their voices taken away”: Former Athletes Speak Out About the Need to Protect Their Rights 

In today's press briefing, former college athletes Sarah Fuller, Shaquem Griffin, Spencer Haywood, and Mikayla Pivec spoke about the need to address athletes’ rights and protections and access to fair compensation.  

“All the times that I would want to say something about what I’m being used for and how it’s being used, I was never allowed to say anything because of the fear of having everything taken away from me,” said Shaquem Griffin. "We don’t want athletes to have their voices taken away” 

"As a college athlete, I had fewer rights to my own name, image, and likeness than any U.S. citizen, all while Vanderbilt and the NCAA reaped the benefits...NIL has finally given women in sports a chance to build their brands, earn an income, and gain visibility,” said Sarah Fuller. 

“As college athletes, we give everything to our universities—our bodies, our time, and our mental health. And in return, the NCAA refuses to give us the bare minimum,” said Mikayla Pivec. 

“How is it against the rules for me to get a few dollars to help my family while I'm making all of this income for you?” said Spencer Haywood. 

 

“Everyone was making money off me, except for me”: The SCORE Act is a “Power Grab by the NCAA” 

In July, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the SCORE Act—legislation backed by the NCAA that would strip college athletes of their hard-won rights to fair compensation, limit their ability to benefit from their own NIL, and contains no legally enforceable rights or protections for college athletes.  

The legislation would grant the NCAA and its members sweeping legal immunity from federal and state antitrust laws, allowing the NCAA to continue denying athletes the compensation they are owed, restrict athletes’ rights, and reduce revenue sharing without any accountability. 

During today’s briefing, other panelists, including former Acting Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Doha Mekki, National Urban League CEO Marc Morial, and justice advocate Julia Duncan, urged Congress to reject proposals like the SCORE Act. 

“The SCORE Act just helps the NCAA accomplish legislatively what the Supreme Court has already said it cannot do,” said Mekki. “Congress should not pass this bill [the SCORE Act], because college athletes deserve so much better.”  

“The proposed SCORE Act is a power grab by the NCAA. It is an effort to overturn the Supreme Court's decision,” said Morial.  

“Everyone was making money off me, except for me,” said Fuller. "The NCAA should not be given a legal blessing to decide what is a true NIL deal and what is not.” 

“The NCAA wants a bailout from Congress, and they don't deserve one,” said Pivec. “They have a long history of prioritizing themselves at the expense of athletes.” 

Pivec said further, “Every inch of progress we've made has come through lawsuits. Giving the NCAA bailout and letting them operate above the law would be dangerous.” 

“The SCORE Act and its provisions contain no legally enforceable rights for college athletes, while also stripping them of the rights they have now that have been recognized by the courts,” said Duncan. 

 

“Will college athletics remain a plantation economy?”: Advocates Urge Congress to “Chart A New Course” 

College athletes deserve the same legal protections and economic freedoms as every other American. In the briefing today, panelists strongly urged Congress to reconsider bringing this bill to the Floor and to ensure college athletes have a seat at the table when crafting legislation that impacts their lives and livelihoods.  

“[The SCORE Act] would roll back a decade of progress, especially for women.” said Pivec “As female athletes, how can we possibly trust the NCAA? This is the same organization that fought Title IX from its inception, gave us the 2020 weight room scandal, and didn't even allow women's basketball players to use March Madness branding until 2022.” 

“The choice before us is clear: Will college athletics remain a plantation economy, exploiting young Black talent for institutional gain? Or will we chart a new course—one that honors the value of every athlete, every school, and every dream?” said Morial. 

 

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