A bipartisan group of senators has introduced a bill that seeks to protect college athletes.
Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Ks.) announced on July 20 a bill that would have criteria surrounding an athlete’s name, image and likeness (NIL).
NILs have been a trend for the past few years as college athletes have fought to get paid, as the NCAA prohibited their athletes from receiving money from sponsorships and other income streams that professional athletes enjoy. In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that this NCAA prohibition was unlawful.
The College Athletes Protection and Compensation Act of 2023 would create the College Athletics Corporation, which would oversee NIL contracts made with college athletes, who would be permitted to have assistance in NIL aspects, including brand management. Higher education institutions would not be allowed to serve as or influence such representation. It would forbid student-athletes from being disciplined for getting paid benefits from an outside party, with a few exceptions….