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SCORE Act hits another roadblock — what it means for college sports
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- SCORE Act hits another roadblock — what it means for college sports
Congress' attempts to fix college sports hit another roadblock.
The SCORE Act , which was set to be voted on this week in the House of Representatives, was pulled, per a Yahoo! Sports report .
This comes after the Congressional Black Caucus announced united opposition against the bill Monday, May 18: "The Congressional Black Caucus cannot support legislation benefiting major athletic institutions that continue to remain silent while Black voting rights and Black political power are being systematically dismantled across the South."
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Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) continue to work on a bipartisan plan in the Senate as an alternative to the SCORE Act. Members of President Trump 's Council on College Sports sent a letter to both senators "applauding" their efforts.
"It is time for all interested parties to set aside past differences and coalesce around legislation in order to get it to the President's desk without delay," read the letter signed by the likes of Nick Saban, Cody Campbell and others who attended President Trump's March 6 college sports summit . "Our universities, student-athletes, alumni, and fans across the entire nation deserve nothing less."
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The SCORE Act (Student Compensation And Opportunity Through Rights and Endorsements) sought to provide more regulation and calm the chaotic environment created by the introduction of name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation, revenue sharing and the transfer portal to college sports. It was scheduled to be up for a vote in December too, but was pulled due to bipartisan backlash .
"The SCORE Act is well-intended but falls short and is not ready for prime time," Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) posted at the time.
On Monday, prior to the bill being pulled for a vote, Athletes.org posted an open letter urging Congress to not pass the SCORE Act.
"Congress is on the verge of making a massive mistake," the letter read. "If lawmakers want to 'save' college athletics, ramming the SCORE Act through the House is exactly the wrong way to do it. Not because college sports are beyond saving, but because this bill risks codifying the same power imbalance that created this chaos in the first place."
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The SCORE Act was recently amended and the latest version , made available May 11 on the rules portion of the House of Representatives website, sought to establish "parameters for the manner in which an institution (or any person on behalf of an institution) may engage in public or private communication with respect to the employment of, or solicit, recruit, or enter into an employment contract or other arrangement with, any coach employed by another institution with respect to a varsity sports team, if such rules prohibit an institution (or any person on behalf of an institution) from engaging in any such communication, solicitation, recruitment, contract, or other arrangement with any such coach during a season of competition of the varsity sports team of such coach."
In a May 7, 2026, op-ed published by The Hill, NCAA President Charlie Baker urged the advancement of the SCORE Act in this next legislative session. Outlining that the NCAA has data that reflect student-athletes do not wish to become full-time employees of their respective institutions and also that additional oversight is needed before more opportunities and sports are sacrificed, Baker wrote that NIL should be an element upon which athletes can earn payment but that current spending levels in college athletics are not sustainable.
"Less than 1 percent of college sports programs nationwide generate meaningful revenue," Baker wrote, "so the additional cost of an employment mandate would create enormous financial pressure, likely resulting in widespread program cuts — with women's sports, Olympic sports, historically Black college and university programs, and Division II and III bearing the brunt. Beyond that, coaches would become bosses, and scholarships could be taxed. I speak with student-athletes daily, and this is not an outcome they desire."
Baker further added, "This includes codifying student-athletes' right to capitalize on their name, image, and likeness and mandating the health and wellness benefits they deserve, while finally establishing the guardrails necessary to protect young people from predatory agents and "bad actors" currently operating in an unregulated NIL market. Because of this balanced, holistic approach, the SCORE Act has earned the support of student-athlete leaders and nearly every conference — including all four HBCU conferences — across all three divisions."
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The SCORE Act also aims to tackle age-based eligibility issues in the NCAA, advocating against the return of professional players to the collegiate game, and it also pushes for student-athletes to be in residence at a school for a minimum of one year before transferring. It urges institutions to keep academics and progress toward a degree as critical components.
USA TODAY Sports reporter Mark Giannotto contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Congress pulls SCORE Act — raising new questions about college sports reform
