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.
“While we understand that there is an ongoing vigorous debate about the various ways Congress can address the currently unsustainable state of collegiate sports, we still believe the SCORE Act is the proposal best suited to address our core concerns. Without swift legislative action, potential regulatory decisions and persistent litigation will continue to threaten the very fabric of our institutions and their respective sports programs,” the letter read in part.
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.
Other HBCU coaches and administrators have been vocal about various changes in college athletics. Following President Donald Trump’s executive order, North Carolina A&T head coach Shawn Gibbs said on the Aggie Pridecast that he liked the transfer portal portion of the executive order.
“I kind of like the executive order, as far as kids still having the freedom to transfer, but just one time. After that, you’d have to sit out a year, which I think would kind of cut back on things.”
Florida A&M basketball coach Charlie Ward, who was invited to participate in the White House Roundtable on college sports in March, suggested a salary cap be implemented in college athletics in an interview on Fox News.
“I’ve always said, if you cap the rev share, it’s just like the NBA or the NFL. You have a luxury tax. If a school goes over the amount, then put it in a fund. Being from Florida A&M, a smaller university in Division I. I say let that money trickle down to us.”
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.
