House Bill to Nationalize Student Athlete Pay and NIL Standards

A groundbreaking bipartisan bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday promises to reshape college sports by standardizing compensation for student athletes. This legislation, known as the SCORE Act, establishes a national framework to ensure athletes can profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), while mandating colleges provide robust academic, career, and medical support.

Currently, over 30 states have their own NIL laws, creating a fragmented system that leaves athletes and schools on shaky ground. This bill overrides that patchwork, setting uniform rules nationwide. Athletes will gain the right to hire agents and must disclose NIL deals to their schools and nonprofit athletic associations like the NCAA. Meanwhile, high-revenue sports programs can no longer pass costs onto non-athlete students through fees, protecting them from footing the bill.

The bill, spearheaded by Reps. Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), and Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), explicitly states that athletes are not university employees, a key distinction amid ongoing debates. It follows a June 2025 antitrust settlement in House v. NCAA, which approved over $2.7 billion in back pay for athletes denied NIL opportunities from 2016 to 2024.

With endorsements from NCAA's Autonomy Conferences and key House committee leaders, the bill aims to bring clarity and fairness to college athletics. It also includes a liability shield for universities and athletic associations, ensuring compliance with antitrust laws. As college sports face a historic transition, this legislation could finally deliver the stability athletes and schools deserve.