College Athlete Bill of Rights is Needed, But Not New
U.S. Senators Booker and Blumenthal introduced S. 5062 College Athletes Bill of Rights as legislation to be considered by the 116th Congress in December of 2020. At the time, the bill was heralded as extraordinarily progressive legislation. We asked Allen Sack, a co-founder of The Drake Group, to write a first person narrative of the […]
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 jsommer@jsommerlaw.com. SEE QUICK EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND FULL DATABASE […]
The U.S. House NIL Bill, Student Athlete Level Playing Field Act, Is Improved but Still Needs Further Specification
The Drake Group commends lead sponsors Representatives Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) and Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), for the reintroduction of their bipartisan bill, the Student Athlete Level Playing Field Act, in the 117th Congress that prohibits the NCAA and other national or conference governance organizations or their member institutions from declaring college athletes ineligible for participation because […]
Moran Legislation is Another NCAA Reform Proposal that Deserves a Closer Look
The Moran Bill permits intercollegiate athletes to monetize their names, images, and likenesses (NILs), and at its core is similar to recent proposals put forth by Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CN). The bill also mirrors many of The Drake Group’s proposals, including broad NIL rights for college athletes […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
The Drake Group Raises Concerns Regarding July 22 U.S. Senate Judiciary Hearing Testimony on College Athlete NILs/Compensation
The Drake Group is encouraged that the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary reviewed issues related to integrity in intercollegiate athletics on July 22, 2020. While the hearing mostly focused on Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights along with various state and federal NIL proposals, there were also important exchanges on COVID-19, concussions, racial disparities, […]
The Drake Group Raises Concerns Regarding July 1, 2020 U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Hearing on College Athlete NILs Compensation
The Drake Group believes that several specific issues raised during the July 1, 2020, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Hearing on “Exploring a Compensation Framework for Intercollegiate Athletics” are misleading to both members of Congress and the general public. Three serious concerns regarding testimony pertaining to NIL compensation were detailed: Claims that NIL laws would perpetuate […]
College Athletes Should Give U.S. Senate NIL Bill a Failing Grade: Criticism of the Fairness in Collegiate Athletics Act
College Athletes Should Give U.S. Senate NIL Bill a Failing Grade: Criticism of the Fairness in Collegiate Athletics Act The Drake Group shares observations critical of the Fairness in Collegiate Athletics Act, a federal bill intended to protect the employment rights of college athletes proposed by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. The Act gives […]