I played Division I volleyball and I care about fair play and clear rules. This article argues for federal NIL reform through the SCORE Act to protect athletes, preserve scholarships, and keep college sports focused on education and competition.
I know what fair competition actually looks like because I lived it on the court: rules applied evenly, referees who enforce them, and teams that compete on a level field. The same principle should govern name, image and likeness rights for student-athletes so one program can’t buy an advantage. When the rules are consistent, athletes and programs can plan, recruit, and thrive without chaos.
Federal NIL reform is the practical path to that stability. The Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements Act, or SCORE Act, aims to make standards national and enforceable so every athlete plays by the same rulebook. That stability matters for the future of college athletics and for the young people who depend on it.
For a few years NIL did what it needed to do: it gave athletes new rights and fresh opportunities to monetize their talents. But what followed was messy — a patchwork of state laws, endless litigation, and institutions trying to outmaneuver one another. The result is uncertainty that hurts athletes and programs that don’t have deep pockets to chase deals and lawyers.
TRUMP SETS SIGHTS ON NIL REGULATION, SCORE ACT AT COLLEGE SPORTS ROUNDTABLE, TEASES ANOTHER EXECUTIVE ORDER The headlines show the issue isn’t going away. Big talk from big platforms only matters if it turns into a uniform, enforceable policy that protects athletes across the country.
I’m particularly worried about damage to non-revenue sports, the kinds of teams that give thousands of college athletes their pathway to education and elite competition. Women’s and Olympic sports are often the first to face cuts when budgets tighten, and that’s where consistent funding and federal protections can make a real difference. In fact, the U.S. women’s indoor volleyball roster at the 2024 Olympics was built from college athletes, which shows how closely linked collegiate programs are to elite success.
SWEEPING BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD NATIONALIZE STANDARDS FOR STUDENT ATHLETE PAY Congress can either let courts and state races shape college sports through a hundred different rules, or it can establish a single, fair framework. Division I, II and III leaders have told lawmakers they want stability, and commissioners across the divisions are asking for laws that don’t favor the richest programs.
One important protection in the bill prevents student-athletes from being treated like employees of their schools, which would fundamentally change the coach-player relationship. Turning players into employees shifts incentives away from mentorship and education and toward transactional labor disputes and payroll-driven decisions. Athletes and institutions both lose when the focus becomes payroll rather than development and degree completion.
Congress has the authority to protect scholarships, preserve smaller programs, and require investments in healthcare and athlete well-being so teams don’t get hollowed out by competitive bidding wars. If lawmakers delay, budget pressures will force cuts, scholarships will be harder to secure, and fewer Americans will find access to higher education through sports. The SCORE Act is a Republican-friendly, practical solution that pushes back against chaos while defending college athletics as a ladder of opportunity.
Lawmakers who value teamwork, character, and opportunity should make a choice: pass nationwide standards that protect athletes and the mission of college sports, or allow a broken, uneven system to keep eroding programs that matter to communities and to the nation’s athletic future.
