The Drake Group Praises Proposed College Athletes Bill of Rights: But Notes Significant Flaw in Massive Sorely Needed Reform Bill
The Drake Group applauds the legislative effort of U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) who introduced the College Athletes Bill of Rights on December 17, 2020. The bill is comprehensive and far-reaching, providing college athletes with long-overdue protections that should have been the responsibility of the […]
Collegiate Athlete Compensation Rights Act Misses Mark on What is Needed to Protect the Independent Publicity Rights of College Athletes
The Drake Group reviewed the Collegiate Athlete Compensation Rights Act introduced by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R)-Mississippi on December 10, 2020. The stated purpose of Senator Wicker’s bill is to protect the rights of college athletes, to provide for transparency and accountability with respect to college athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreements, and to […]
The Drake Group Applauds “Intentional Discrimination” Lawsuit Alleging NCAA Discriminates Against HBCUs
The Drake Group, a national organization of college faculty and others whose mission is to defend educational integrity in higher education from the corrosive aspects of commercialized college sports, applauds the ‘Intentional Discrimination’ class action lawsuit (“Manassa vs the NCAA”) recently filed in the Southern District of Indiana. This lawsuit alleges that the NCAA’s academic […]
Failing to Confront the “Elephants in the Room” – The Drake Group Comments on the Knight Commission Proposal to Transform the NCAA D-I Model
On December 3, 2020, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics issued a formal report, “Transforming the NCAA D-I Model: Recommendation for Change” in which the Knight Commission called for a “reset” of college athletics, urging Presidents and Chancellors to play their rightful leadership role in demanding such reform. Unfortunately, The Drake Group believes the proposed […]
Drake Group Decries NCAA Infractions Decision concerning UMass Women’s Tennis and Former Athlete, Brittany Collens
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Drake Group decries an October 16, 2020, NCAA Committee on Infractions decision penalizing college athletes rather than the athletic program administrators who botched the computation of their scholarship checks. Over a three-year period, UMass athletic department administrators failed to properly compute payments when 12 athletes moved off-campus. Eight athletes continued […]
NCAA and NAIA Give It the “Old College Try” with NIL Proposals, but Do Not Go Far Enough
On November 16, 2020, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) issued its proposed bylaws to be considered at its January 12-15, 2021 Convention. Included therein are the long-awaited new bylaws that would allow NCAA athletes to be compensated for the commercial use of their own Names, Images, and Likenesses (NILs), subject to certain restrictions. If adopted, […]
College Athletes Should Give U.S. House NIL Bill a “C+” Grade: Kudos and Criticism of The Student Athlete Level Playing Field Act
The Drake Group issued a position statement applauding The Student-Athlete Level Playing Field Act introduced on September 14, 2020, by a bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives led by Anthony Gonzalez (OH-R) and Emanuel Cleaver (MO-D). The Act, if adopted, would prohibit the NCAA and other national or conference governance organizations or their member institutions from […]
Listen Up Congress! What’s Wrong with College Sports and How to Fix It
By William Rudelius The U.S. Congress is showing signs of life related to tackling the need for collegiate athletics reform. Why is Congress getting involved, and why should it step in and force reform of college athletics? Answer: Because the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) has become a trade association for commercialized collegiate football and […]
Message To Congress On NCAA Reform: NIL Income Yes, Cash Income No
By Dr. Andrew Zimbalist and Dr. Donna A. Lopiano Originally published September 15, 2020 Thirty-four states have proposed or passed legislation to allow their college athletes to earn income from their names, images, and likenesses (NILs). Unfortunately, there is considerable variation in what these bills provide. It would be unworkable for colleges in the same […]
Drake Applauds U.S. Senate “Athletes’ Bill of Rights,” Proposes Congressional Legislation
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — On August 3, 2020, U.S. Senators Cory Booker, Richard Blumenthal, Christopher Murphy, Kirsten Gillibrand, Ron Wyden, Mazie Hirono, and Kamala Harris issued a “College Athletes Bill of Rights” statement that sought to advance justice and opportunity for college athletes and promised future legislation to realize their position. On August 13, they […]