Athletes.org (AO) vehemently opposes the Protect College Sports Act as the latest federal proposal that attempts to codify NCAA-supported restrictions limiting college athletes’ freedom, mobility and ability to earn their true market value.
The Protect College Sports Act is being marketed as a solution to stabilize college sports, but in reality, it protects schools, conferences, the College Sports Commission and NCAA leadership at the expense of college athletes it claims to protect. At its core, the bill would grant antitrust protections to the NCAA and its member institutions while legalizing restrictions on athlete compensation, transfers and eligibility. If passed, this bill will directly attack athlete freedom and serve as a roadblock to true independent athlete representation through a players association in college sports.
College athletes deserve the same freedoms and opportunities as every other American citizen. Yet this bill would put federally protected limitations on athletes, which were otherwise ruled illegal, with no guardrails on coaches (except to not leave mid-season), administrators or any other party who benefits financially from college sports.
AO’s position is simple: rules governing athlete compensation, transfers, eligibility and working conditions should be negotiated by athletes, not imposed on them through legislation. Real stability comes through representation, negotiation and enforceable standards, not one-sided restrictions protected by Congress. An unprecedented antitrust exemption, for a serial antitrust violator, will place college athletes in the grasp of the NCAA, its conferences and member institutions again, but this time in perpetuity. The message this will send to other industries will be that if you operate illegally, but spend enough money lobbying, then Congress will do the same thing for you.
College athletes: this bill ultimately says your talent can generate billions for schools, conferences and television networks, but the people running the system, not the athletes driving it, will still control where and how long you can play, when you can transfer and how much you can earn. It gives legal protection to the NCAA and conferences to enforce athlete restrictions while athletes still have no true seat at the bargaining table and no independent mechanism to protect their rights.
Decisions made in Washington have the potential to directly shape the future of college sports and the rights of millions of current and future athletes. A vote in support of this act is a vote to suppress the rights of young people across this nation. Any bill that claims to “protect” college sports should not blindly support the NCAA, but listen and work with athletes to ensure they have the power to negotiate the rules that govern their lives.
Athletes are consistently working to help solve the issues facing college sports today, but many institutional leaders are more focused on working directly with Congress than on engaging the athletes whose rights and opportunities they seek to regulate. This is a pivotal moment, and despite continued efforts to slow athlete momentum and exclude athletes from the negotiating process, Athletes.org looks forward to bringing its members to the table and demonstrating how organized they are and how essential they are to the long-term success of the college sports ecosystem.
Athletes.org, “The Players Association for College Athletes,” is a voluntary membership organization whose membership includes more than 5,200 current and former college athletes. AO exists to educate, organize and represent college athletes as their chosen players association to ensure their seat at the table in the ever-changing landscape of college sports.
