The NCAA has been frozen with indecision since the June U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting its “amateur status” rules. Fearful of legal responsibility, the organization is pursuing a constitutional convention restructure that reeks of throwing its conference and institutional members under the litigation bus. College athletics has lost its way because of a failure of […]

Learn about the mission and purpose of The Drake Group – working for the past two decades on critical college athletics reform issues. See the full story

The Drake Group brings together Title IX experts and an NCAA D-I conference commissioner to discuss the new reality of the college athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL) marketplace and how it relates to the Title IX promotion, publicity, recruiting and NIL education obligations of educational institutions and the entities they control, including surrogate organizations […]

Universities must not only focus on their own Title IX compliance obligations to provide male and female athletes with equal participation opportunities, athletics scholarship support, and equal treatment and benefits (including promotion, publicity, and recruiting), they must also require the third parties they establish, control, assist, or benefit from — conferences, national governing organizations, businesses, […]

Drake Group leaders explain how college athletes are being harmed by the current NCAA constructed system of college sports, why the NCAA won’t fix it and how Congress must be involved to find solutions. See the full story

Did you know that colleges are not required to pay for the medical expenses of college athlete and there is no long term disability fund for chronic athletic injuries or the results of brain trauma? See the full story

Athletes of color comprise the majority of all Division I football and basketball players and graduate at rates lower than their athlete and non-athlete peers. See the full story

The Drake Group brings together a blue-ribbon slate of researchers, lawyers, athletes, gender equity experts and sports administrators to address the topic of transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s interscholastic, intercollegiate and open Olympic and club sports. Panelists will explore whether eligibility for participation should be based on an individual’s sex, gender identity or a […]

Clinicians and administrators currently working at major universities speak on college athletes mental health issues, differences related to race and gender, personnel needs not being met and other critical issues. Moderator: EMMETT GILL, Chief Visionary Officer for Athletes and Advocates for Social Justice, Member, The Drake Group Board of Directors Panelists: SHAMAREE BROWN, Director, Student-Athlete […]

Current and former college athletes answer questions on the new name, image, likeness rules allowing athletes to make money while retaining their eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletics. Moderator: Katie Lever, Chief Communications Officer, The Drake Group. Panelists: MAURICE CLARETT, nationally acclaimed author, former Ohio State running back, BRIANNA ELLIS, sophomore point guard, U. of […]

National experts answer questions on the new name, image, likeness rules allowing athletes to make money while retaining their eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletics. Moderator: Katie Lever, Chief Communications Officer, The Drake Group. Panelists: VAL ACKERMAN, Commissioner, Big East Conference, LEN ELMORE, Co-Chair, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, BLAKE LAWRENCE, Co-Founder and CEO, Opendorse, […]

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 jsommer@jsommerlaw.com. SEE QUICK EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND FULL DATABASE […]