SCORE Act

The bill, known as the SCORE Act, establishes a federal framework to protect student athletes' name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights and promote fair competition in intercollegiate athletics. It prohibits institutions, conferences, and athletic associations from restricting a student athlete's ability to enter into NIL agreements, with exceptions for prohibited compensation or conflicts with institutional codes of conduct or contracts. Student athletes are also granted the right to obtain an agent and have privacy regarding their NIL agreements. Agreements exceeding $600 must be in writing and include specific details like services, parties, term, compensation, and termination clauses. Certain institutions, specifically those with high-earning coaches or significant athletic revenue, must provide extensive support to student athletes. This includes comprehensive academic and career counseling, mental health services, and medical care for injuries sustained during intercollegiate athletics, extending for at least three years post-separation. These institutions must also maintain grant-in-aid regardless of athletic performance or NIL compensation and offer degree completion assistance to eligible former student athletes. Furthermore, these institutions are required to maintain at least 16 varsity sports teams. Interstate intercollegiate athletic associations are authorized to establish and enforce rules, provided they comply with the Act and meet specific governance requirements. These rules can cover NIL disclosure, recruitment parameters, and transfer policies, ensuring student athletes have at least one opportunity for immediate eligibility upon transfer. A key provision allows associations to calculate a pool limit for institutional payments to athletes, which must be at least 22% of the average annual college sports revenue of their 70 highest-earning member institutions. This pool limit aims to regulate compensation while granting antitrust immunity to associations that adhere to these rules. The bill amends the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act to cap agent fees for endorsement contracts at 5% of the student athlete's compensation and requires agents to disclose their registration status. It explicitly states that student athletes are not considered employees of institutions, conferences, or athletic associations based solely on their participation in intercollegiate athletics. The legislation also includes a broad preemption clause , overriding state laws that conflict with its provisions regarding student athlete compensation, employment status, or eligibility. To enhance financial transparency , the bill mandates that institutions disclose how student fees are used to support intercollegiate athletic programs. Starting in academic year 2028-2029, institutions with average annual media rights revenue of $50 million or more will be prohibited from using student fees to support their athletic programs. Additionally, the bill requires studies by the Federal Trade Commission on agent regulation and by the Comptroller General on the Act's compliance, its impact on Olympic Sports , and recommendations for their support.