The Drake Group

The Drake Group Educating the U.S. Congress about critical issues in intercollegiate athletics

The purpose of updating this 2021 database created by The Drake Group is to provide legislative policymakers, athletics ...
12/29/2025

The purpose of updating this 2021 database created by The Drake Group is to provide legislative policymakers, athletics administrators, and college athletes with current knowledge of state laws related to NIL and other third-party employment. School administrators need to understand what laws require in their own states and the states where their teams compete, to best guide their student-athletes, especially when laws involve taxation or other athlete obligations. Athletes and their agents must understand these obligations, rights, and opportunities related to earning NIL and other forms of compensation. Athletic governance organizations (such as NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, conferences, and state athletic associations) need to address enforcement responsibilities when their rules conflict with state laws. Knowledge of state laws can help federal policymakers understand rights and benefits that should be included or compensation practices that should be prohibited by federal legislation. State legislators may use the database to identify model laws from other states to replicate or to determine what laws are necessary in their own state to protect athletes, schools, and colleges, or to influence the success of athletics programs in their area.

The database can be accessed as a downloadable PDF or Excel document HERE:
https://conta.cc/3MPmRj7

The SCORE Act is Flawed.The SCORE Act, as currently written, provides institutions, conferences, and the NCAA with an an...
12/02/2025

The SCORE Act is Flawed.
The SCORE Act, as currently written, provides institutions, conferences, and the NCAA with an antitrust exemption, preemption of state laws, and classification of college athletes as non-employees, effectively codifying the House v. NCAA (and Power Five Conferences) settlement. Congress should consider this purpose highly questionable, given that approval of the settlement is now on appeal, and the lawsuit has never been litigated on its merits.
We are particularly concerned about the impact of this legislation on athletes from lower socio-economic groups, a population in which athletes of color are overrepresented and more likely to be educationally exploited by their institutions, economically exploited by uncertified agents, and who are now being subject to onerous contract terms by their institutions as a condition of engaging in revenue sharing now permitted in the settlement and by the Act.

Read the full release here:
https://conta.cc/4ivVBlf

What principles guide The Drake Group in its discussions with legislative staff?First, we remind ourselves that successf...
10/29/2025

What principles guide The Drake Group in its discussions with legislative staff?
First, we remind ourselves that successfully promoting laws requires bipartisanship and a long-term approach. Second is the realization that members from both sides must collaborate as co-sponsors. Third is accepting that with more complex or difficult issues, it is likely to take more time to develop legislative solutions. Lastly and perhaps the most important principle, is to develop legislation that will balance the interests of athletes and institutions, prevent the economic and academic exploitation of athletes, better protect athletes’ health and well-being, and create a more sustainable financial model for athletic programs at tax-exempt education institutions. Above are the principles we seek to advance.
To read about these principles in more detail, see the link below:
https://conta.cc/41PW8HL

“Word salad” refers to confusing or misleading language used to hide the truth. In college sports, it’s often used to di...
10/21/2025

“Word salad” refers to confusing or misleading language used to hide the truth. In college sports, it’s often used to distract from actions that violate the NCAA’s own rules and core principles.

1. House Settlement Violations
The NCAA Board approved the House v. NCAA settlement without the full membership vote required by its Constitution. This move ignored member input and existing rules that prohibit pay-for-play, raising serious questions about governance and integrity.

2. Misuse of “Revenue-Sharing” and “NIL” payments
The NCAA now labels athlete cash payments as “revenue-sharing payments" or “NIL payments", despite neither fitting their real definitions. These payments mostly go to men’s football and basketball players, violating both the spirit and letter of Title IX, and serve as disguised pay-for-play deals.

3. Title IX Ignored
Title IX forbids s*x discrimination, yet the settlement heavily favors male athletes as the NCAA and attorneys involved have downplayed Title IX concerns. This approach not only undermines gender equity but could create new legal risks for schools.

In short, “word salad” is being used to mask inequity and misdirection. The Drake Group calls for honesty, fairness, and true accountability in college sports.

Read more below:
https://conta.cc/41PW8HL

Report 6, Our Messaging When First Engaging Congressional Staff Members, discusses how we educate staff members in Congr...
10/16/2025

Report 6, Our Messaging When First Engaging Congressional Staff Members, discusses how we educate staff members in Congressional offices about critical issues in college sports. Accordingly, educating Congressional staff members
is the focus of this report in our eight-part series. The short answer is: one-on-one virtual or in-person meetings. To read more about how we educate staff members, see the link below.

https://conta.cc/41PW8HL

The SAFE Act addresses several crucial issues facing college sports. It would allow schools to pool broadcasting rights ...
10/10/2025

The SAFE Act addresses several crucial issues facing college sports. It would allow schools to pool broadcasting rights to boost revenue supporting Olympic sport scholarships and roster spots. The bill also limits athlete transfers to two without sitting out, guarantees 10-year scholarship support for athletes returning to finish degrees, and requires five years of post-eligibility medical coverage for athletic injuries. Additionally, it increases transparency in athlete-agent relationships by requiring agent registration, written contracts with fee disclosures capped at 5%, and prohibiting contracts beyond collegiate eligibility. Though lacking bipartisan support, the SAFE Act highlights the importance of athlete-centered protections in federal reform.

Read more below:
https://conta.cc/41PW8HL

Last week, Senators Maria Cantwell, Cory Booker, and Richard Blumenthal introduced the Student Athlete Fairness and Enfo...
10/08/2025

Last week, Senators Maria Cantwell, Cory Booker, and Richard Blumenthal introduced the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement (SAFE) Act, a bill that aims to strengthen fairness and protection in college sports. The legislation would amend the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 to allow colleges and universities to pool their media rights, enabling conferences to collectively negotiate higher-value broadcasting agreements and direct that revenue toward supporting Olympic sports, scholarships, and roster spots. The bill would also limit athletes to two transfers without sitting out a year, helping ensure stability and informed decision-making that supports degree completion when transferring. In addition, the SAFE Act guarantees scholarship support for up to ten years after eligibility expires for athletes who do not graduate but wish to return to school to complete their degrees, and it mandates five years of post-eligibility medical coverage for athletes requiring continued treatment for sports-related injuries. The legislation also addresses the need for transparency and accountability in the athlete representation process by requiring state registration of sports agents, written representation agreements, disclosure of fees, and capping agent commissions at 5% of endorsement contracts.
While the SAFE Act currently lacks bipartisan support, The Drake Group believes its athlete-centered provisions are critical for the success of any federal legislation on college sports and will continue advocating for laws that prioritize athlete health, education, and welfare.

Read more here: https://conta.cc/41PW8HL

The SCORE Act jeopardizes fairness in college athletics. The bill promotes a cash-based recruiting and pay-for-play cult...
10/03/2025

The SCORE Act jeopardizes fairness in college athletics. The bill promotes a cash-based recruiting and pay-for-play culture that overwhelmingly benefits the two wealthiest Power Five conferences, their highly paid coaches and administrators, and roughly 18,000 male football and basketball players among the total of 185,000 Division I athletes.
Moreover, the legislation appears designed to weaken federal and state protections requiring equitable treatment of female athletes, as it fails to include Title IX safeguards. Most schools will lack the resources to both prioritize revenue sports and maintain gender equity.
At the same time, Congress has overlooked the true problem in college athletics, massive media revenue disparities. These gaps funnel money to just 30–40 of the richest programs, while the majority of Division I institutions are left with fewer resources. The result will be an even tighter concentration of power in March Madness and the College Football Playoff, with a handful of schools dominating while the rest fall further behind. To read more about the SCORE Act, and what The Drake Group is doing to remedy its problems, click the link below.
https://conta.cc/41PW8HL

The SCORE Act poses serious risks for student-athletes if passed. While it shields the NCAA from antitrust and state law...
09/30/2025

The SCORE Act poses serious risks for student-athletes if passed. While it shields the NCAA from antitrust and state law litigation, it would also cement near-total control of college sports indefinitely. In return, athletes would forfeit employee rights, accept limited economic benefits, and face reduced protections for health, injuries, transfer rights, and other benefits they currently hold. The bill would also lock in unprecedented pay-for-play practices funded by colleges, including cash signing and retention bonuses tied solely to athletic performance and revenue generation, entirely disconnected from education or degree completion. Further, by excluding Title IX safeguards, the legislation undermines federal and state requirements for gender equity, leaving many schools unable to both fund revenue sports and provide fair treatment for female athletes.

The Drake Group will continue to oppose the SCORE Act because of these fatal flaws. We are working on a replacement bill that addresses these issues, a difficult but necessary effort requiring support and sponsorship, as well as standing up to powerful conferences.

We hope you will join us in this work. As a 100% volunteer 501(c)(4) nonprofit, we rely on membership dues and contributions from supporters. If you are not already a member, we invite you to consider joining us today.

See the link below to read the full report:
https://conta.cc/41PW8HL

The proposed House v. NCAA settlement has sparked significant concerns from athletes and objectors, particularly over it...
09/26/2025

The proposed House v. NCAA settlement has sparked significant concerns from athletes and objectors, particularly over its failure to adequately address athlete rights, NIL, and Title IX implications. In An Analysis of Objections to the Proposed Settlement of College Athlete NIL Litigation (House/Carter v. NCAA and the Power Five Conferences), The Drake Group highlights the objections of 370 athletes who would be adversely affected by the settlement.

Read Olivia Dunne’s full submission, along with others, and access the complete report here:

https://conta.cc/41PW8HL

In March of 2025, The Drake Group undertook an examination of the documents submitted as objections to and comments on t...
09/22/2025

In March of 2025, The Drake Group undertook an examination of the documents submitted as objections to and comments on the proposed settlement of House v. NCAA. While that settlement was approved on June 6, the decision was immediately appealed to the 9th Circuit with that court unlikely to issue its decision until 2026. Our research report, An Analysis of Objections to the Proposed Settlement of College Athlete NIL Litigation (aka House/Carter v. NCAA and Power Five conferences), detailed the concerns of 370 athletes who would be adversely affected by the settlement and categorized into the questions the Court would be required to consider in making its approval determination. To read more, view Report 3 and past reports at the link below.

https://conta.cc/41PW8HL

The Drake Group (TDG) endorses the Fair Play for Women Act because the numbers speak volumes and the inequities remain c...
09/19/2025

The Drake Group (TDG) endorses the Fair Play for Women Act because the numbers speak volumes and the inequities remain clear. Collegiate women continue to be shortchanged in athletic programs. According to the GAO audit of Title IX enforcement, 93% of athletic programs are not offering opportunities to women proportional to their share of the student body, women’s overall athletic participation is 14 percentage points lower than their enrollment, at two-thirds of colleges, women’s participation is at least 10% below their enrollment, and 40% of these colleges have failed to add a new women’s sport in the last 14 years or have cut existing ones. TDG urges members and allies to contact their Congressional Representatives and ask them to co-sponsor/support either H.R. 1183 or S. 543. Read more about the Fair Play for Women Act and related legislation in our reports, which include analysis, recommendations, and instructions for contacting Congress.

https://conta.cc/41PW8HL

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