The Drake Group President-Elect Andrew Zimbalist and Drake Board of Directors member Julie Sommer wield a mighty pen with a timely critique of the NCAA’s efforts in the courts to protect its profits – revenues derived from the labor of talented, hard-working—and disproportionately Black—college athletes, especially those playing in the women’s and men’s Final Four … Read more
By Jon Ericson Met many sharp people and made many friends. Sure, but a book club, bridge club, or square-dance gathering provides opportunities to meet new people. True, but those I met in The Drake Group believed deeply in something, and they were willing to devote time and energy to work for that cause. I … Read more
A side-by-side comparison of legislation filed in the 116th and 117th Congress to date on the issue of college athlete compensation for their independent monetization of the use of their names, images, and likenesses.
Representatives of the NCAA, prominent athletic conferences, and athletics administrators have been pacing the halls of Congress asking their Senators and Representatives for federal laws that would negate the patchwork of state laws that gave college athletes name, image, and likeness employment rights outside their education institutions. Such employment is a good thing for athletes, … Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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