As a former Division I women’s volleyball player at the University of Wisconsin and Kansas State University, I understand the value of fair play. All college sports depend on the enforcement of rules that can be applied equally and consistently. That’s why referees exist — to protect the integrity of the game and maintain a standard of fair competition.
The same approach should govern the name, image and likeness (NIL) rights of student-athletes, and that’s what federal NIL reform through the bipartisan Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act will deliver.
For the past few years, student-athletes have navigated a chaotic system without clear guardrails. NIL expansion affirmed long-overdue rights that student-athletes deserved and enabled young Americans to finally monetize their talents. But its introduction was unbalanced, resulting in significant uncertainty and confusion.
The current environment involves endless lawsuits, differing NIL laws across states, and institutions seeking to gain a competitive advantage. The ongoing regulatory nightmare is anything but fair for more than half a million student-athletes who play college sports each year.
I’m especially concerned about NIL’s impact on traditionally non-revenue sports, like the one I played, if no action is taken to rein in the system.
Women’s and Olympic sports are often the first to face budget cuts due to financial pressures. These programs represent the diversity of sports that make college athletics unique and prepare elite athletes for international competitions. Take my sport, volleyball: in the 2024 Summer Olympics, the entire U.S. women’s indoor volleyball roster consisted of college athletes.
SWEEPING BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD NATIONALIZE STANDARDS FOR STUDENT ATHLETE PAY
Courts, state legislatures and institutions can’t be counted on to permanently fix these long-standing issues. Congress is the only body capable of intervening to establish uniformity, stability and fairness that student-athletes have demanded. Division I, II and III commissioners, whose memberships include schools of all sizes, recently sent letters to lawmakers urging swift action.
I’m glad the SCORE Act is gaining traction and moving closer to a vote. This bill will create enforceable national standards that level the playing field while preserving the educational mission of college sports. It also includes protections such as funding for women’s and Olympic sports, and investments in healthcare and athlete well-being.
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Another key safeguard in the bill relates to employment status. I went to Kansas State with a clear purpose: to attain a college degree while achieving athletic success. Never did I fathom becoming an employee of my school — a move that is unpopular among both institutions and athletes.
Student-athletes would face the most detrimental consequences of moving college sports to an employer-employee model, as their relationships with coaches would become less about mentorship and development.
Members of Congress acknowledge college sports are a prized American institution, one that instills civic values such as teamwork and dedication. But without legislative action, it’s just empty rhetoric. The longer action is delayed, the more key sports programs will erode, athletic scholarships will decline, and fewer young Americans will be able to use their athletic gifts as a pathway to higher education.
Ultimately, college sports can only thrive when fair competition meets academic opportunities — a balance that the SCORE Act aims to strike.
As our country prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, we should strengthen every institution that makes us exceptional and prepares our next generation of American leaders. That starts with restoring the mission of college athletics and finally delivering federal NIL reform.
