2020 - The Drake Group, Inc.

The Drake Group Strongly Supports “College Athletes Bill of Rights” Introduced in the 117th Congress

On August 3, 2022, U.S. Senators Cory Booker, Richard Blumenthal, Brian Schatz, Ron Wyden, and Alex Padilla re-introduced the “College Athletes Bill of Rights” legislation aimed at advancing justice and opportunity for college athletes. “The College Athletes Bill of Rights bill is long overdue and extremely important,” said Andrew Zimbalist, President of The Drake Group. “It protects college athletes’ rights … Read more

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 … Read more

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 … Read more

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, … Read more

State-by-State Legislation on College Athlete Name/Image/Likeness – A Drake Database

The Drake Group is maintaining a state-by-state database tracking all state legislative actions recognizing the rights of college athletes to monetize their own names, images, and likenesses (NILs) via employment and endorsements outside their collegiate institutions. Questions should be directed to Drake board member Julie Sommer at [email protected]. SEE QUICK EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND FULL DATABASE … Read more

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 … Read more

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 … Read more

Drake Group Calls for Congress to Enact College Athlete Protections: A Legislative Proposal

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 were joined by Senators … Read more

Drake Group Honors Nancy Hogshead-Makar, J.D. as Recipient of 2020 Drake Hero Award

The Drake Group is honoring Nancy Hogshead-Makar, J.D. with the 2020 Drake Hero Award for her determined and extraordinary efforts to advance the collegiate sports reform movement through persistent actions over the past thirty years. Hogshead-Makar’s leadership in addressing sexual abuse in sport, which began long before the recent horrific revelations in gymnastics, is path-breaking, … Read more

Drake Group Honors Johnasia Cash, Courageous Penn State Basketball Player, as Recipient of 2020 Drake Presidential Award

The Drake Group Presidential Award was established in 2017 to honor an extraordinary contribution by an individual or organization that has helped advance the integrity of intercollegiate athletics through a public action that demonstrates integrity, the primacy of educational objectives and the responsible and ethical conduct of intercollegiate athletics as an extracurricular enterprise. Johnasia Cash, … Read more