The commissioners of the four HBCU conferences in Division I and Division II have been vocal over the past couple of years about federal legislation regarding NIL. On Monday, the commissioners continued their lobbying of Congress by sending a letter to the Congressional Black Caucus showing their support for the SCORE Act. Reported by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the letter comes as a few members of the Congressional Black Caucus have shown resistance to the bill.
The SCORE Act aims to codify that student-athletes are not employees, shielding schools from collective bargaining and labor costs. It establishes a uniform federal NIL standard that preempts varying state laws, while granting the NCAA limited antitrust protection to enforce its own rules and eligibility requirements without the constant threat of litigation.