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SCORE Act receives support from over 20 conservative groups as NIL reform fight revs up

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SCORE Act receives support from over 20 conservative groups as NIL reform fight revs up

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More than 20 conservative organizations expressed support for the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act, according to a letter addressed to House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., obtained by Fox News Digital.

The SCORE Act would give the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption in hopes of protecting the NCAA from potential lawsuits over eligibility rules and would prohibit athletes from becoming employees of their schools.

“The SCORE Act is the free market, individual liberty, limited government fix to the “name, image, and likeness (NIL)” issue in college athletics,” the letter read.

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Duke center Patrick Ngongba (21) shoots against Arkansas forward Malique Ewin (12) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic tournament Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, in Chicago.  (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

“In 2021, the NCAA v. Alston case before the Supreme Court resulted in schools gaining freedom to offer additional education-related benefits to students, which set the stage for an expansion of NIL rights. In the years since, a patchwork of confusing state laws have been enacted, which cry out for a federal solution to create unified NIL rules that are consistent for everyone.”

The groups in favor of the SCORE Act said the bill is the “common-sense way” to establish rules and preempt confusing state laws in the NIL era.

H.R. 4312 prohibits trial lawyers from suing under federal or state antitrust law. It also provides that athletes receiving NIL compensation need not be employees of these universities, protecting them from compulsory unionization. This means student-athletes can be treated as small business owners, not unionized workers,” the letter added.

The conservative groups framed the SCORE Act as being a better plan than the “Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement (SAFE) Act,” which has mostly been backed by Democrats. The SCORE Act has at least scored some bipartisanship support in the House.

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The SAFE Act proposes to rewrite the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act to allow conferences to pool media rights. Supporters say it could inject billions into college sports.

North Carolina State’s Caden Fordham (1) celebrates after a sack of North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez (not shown) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Raleigh, North Carolina, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

SEN JOHN THUNE OFFERS POTENTIAL SOLUTION FOR NIL REFORM: ‘LIKE THE NFL WITHOUT A CONTRACT’

“The Left’s proposed framework to regulate NIL would be a disaster. Known as the “SAFE Act,” it would open the door for trial lawyers to frivolously sue athletic departments and conferences,” the conservative groups said. “It could also require student-athletes to be classified as employees, forcing many of them into unions, using merely the predicate of NIL compensation.

“Bizarrely, the SAFE Act would also create a socialized college sports media contract, imposing a national government board to negotiate for all colleges. Washington bureaucrats should not be in the business of negotiating sports television and streaming rights.”

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Leaders from the Center for a Free Economy, 60 Plus Association, Constitutional Rights PAC, Parkview Institute, DL Maradona Foundation, US Policy, Southeast Texans for Liberty, National Taxpayers Union, Family Business Coalition, Frontiers of Freedom, Tradition, Family, Property, Founding Principles Coalition, America First PACT, American Commitment, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Southwest Public Policy Center, Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, Hispanic Leadership Fund, Inventor’s Project, Gator PAC and Committee to Unleash Prosperity.

“Thirty-one Division I athletic conferences with wide-ranging membership, from schools with small budgets to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), have publicly endorsed the SCORE Act as the solution to protecting opportunities for student-athletes. The path forward is clear. We urge you to support the SCORE Act and oppose the Big Government SAFE Act,” the letter read.

The SCORE Act calls on schools to share revenue, per terms of the House settlement to the tune of 22% “if such rules provide that such pool limit is AT LEAST 22 percent of the average annual college sports revenue of the 70 highest-earning schools.”

Sen. Ted Cruz has been in support of the SCORE Act. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

The SCORE Act prohibits schools from using student fees to fund NIL payments.

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The bill was introduced back in July and received support from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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College football star calls on Trump take charge of College Football Playoff decisions

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College football star calls on Trump take charge of College Football Playoff decisions

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The College Football Playoff Committee’s penultimate rankings caused a bunch of consternation among fans, and one Heisman Trophy hopeful called on the president to take charge.

The Vanderbilt Commodores are on the outside looking in at the final field with no more games left on their calendar. Vanderbilt has only two losses on the season – against the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas Longhorns. Both of them are conference opponents, which kept them from getting into the SEC Championship.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) throws to a receiver during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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Diego Pavia wrote on social media that President Donald Trump should sign an executive order to expand the field with days before the final bracket is released.

“@realDonaldTrump MAKE THE EXECUTIVE ORDER PLEASE,” he wrote on X.

Pavia responded to a post that called for the expansion of the College Football Playoff from 12 teams to 16 teams. The post called for the CFP to have four SEC teams, four Big Ten teams, two ACC teams, two Big 12 teams and four at-large bids.

“Get rid of these stupid committees filled with justifications nobody seems to understand,” the post added.

OLE MISS-LANE KIFFIN DIVORCE TAKES ANOTHER DRAMATIC TURN AS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR SEEMINGLY BACKS PLAYERS’ DISPUTE

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President Donald Trump listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Trump taking over the CFP Committee was something Secretary of State Marco Rubio joked about in an appearance on CNN.

Right now, feeling the hurt the most are the Miami Hurricanes, who are sitting on the outside looking into the field despite having a head-to-head advantage against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

There are a few conference championship games Saturday that could shake up the rankings a bit. The BYU Cougars losing to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Big 12 Championship will ultimately hurt them and possibly catapult them into the field. The possibility of Alabama staying in the field despite having three losses should they lose to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC title game, would create more heated conversation as well.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) runs for yardage as he escapes from Tennessee defensive lineman Ethan Utley (17) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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The final rankings will come out Sunday once the conference championship games are finished.

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NFL Week 14 picks: Bears defeat Packers at Lambeau; Texans topple Chiefs

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NFL Week 14 picks: Bears defeat Packers at Lambeau; Texans topple Chiefs

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Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups and makes his predictions for Week 14 of the NFL season.

All lines and over/under numbers are according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Last week, Farmer posted a 11-5 (.688) record. Through the first 13 weeks of the season, he is 130-64 (.670).

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Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, his record against the spread in Week 13 would have been 7-9 (.438). For the season, his record against the spread is 98-96 (.505).

All times are Pacific and TV reflects broadcasts in the Los Angeles area. The 49ers, Giants, Panthers, Patriots are off this week.

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House vote on NIL regulation act canceled despite Trump’s backing as some Republicans still not on board

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House vote on NIL regulation act canceled despite Trump’s backing as some Republicans still not on board

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A House vote on the SCORE Act (Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements), which would regulate name, image, and likeness deals, was canceled shortly before it was set to be brought to the floor.

There was a vote on Tuesday to bring it to the floor, which won 210-209. The House vote was supposed to take place around 4 p.m. ET but was canceled in the 2 p.m. hour.

The White House endorsed the act on Tuesday, but three Republicans, Byron Donalds (Fla.), Scott Perry (Pa.), and Chip Roy (Texas) voted with Democrats not to bring the act to the floor. Democrats have largely opposed the bill, urging members of the House to vote “no.”

 

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The Ohio State Buckeyes line up for an extra point attempt during the second quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on Nov. 29, 2025, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  (Luke Hales/Getty Images)

“The unique American institution of collegiate athletics provides life-changing educational and leadership-development opportunities to more than 500,000 student-athletes through almost $4 billion in scholarships each year, fuels American Olympic success, and serves as an indelible part of many local economies and communities,” the White House said in a release Tuesday.

“Yet the future of college sports, and especially the future of Olympic and non-revenue sports, is threatened by significant legal and financial uncertainty. Urgent federal action is necessary to provide the stability, fairness, and balance that will protect student-athletes and preserve collegiate athletic opportunities.”

The White House added that the act “is a crucial step toward enacting legislation that will preserve and strengthen this institution that is central to American culture and success.” It did not respond to a request for comment regarding Wednesday’s cancellation.

The SCORE Act would give the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption in hopes of protecting the NCAA from potential lawsuits over eligibility rules and would prohibit athletes from becoming employees of their schools. It prohibits schools from using student fees to fund NIL payments. Republicans could attempt to vote on the act as early as Thursday.

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Roy posted on X Wednesday that he would “vote no” to the act.

The NCAA logo on an entrance sign outside the NCAA Headquarters on Feb. 28, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana.  (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

OLE MISS PLAYERS PUSH BACK ON LANE KIFFIN’S CLAIM THAT TEAM ASKED AD TO LET HIM FINISH SEASON WITH REBELS

“The SCORE Act (college sports) is well-intended but falls short and is not ready for prime time. I will vote no. Putting aside the process problems (we should have been able to amend)… there are lots of legitimate concerns and questions,” Roy wrote. 

The Congressional Black Caucus also opposed the act in a statement Wednesday.

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“We can all agree that college athletes need stronger protections. Unfortunately, the SCORE Act doesn’t provide them,” it said. “It would permanently strip college athletes of labor and employment rights, including the right to unionize; prevent them from challenging harmful or anticompetitive conduct; and grant the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and conferences sweeping immunity when their actions jeopardize athletes’ education, health, safety, or financial well-being..

“We cannot lose sight of the human impact here. At the center of this issue are the college athletes, many of whom are Black students and who may not come from sizable financial means. College athletes too often report struggling with injuries, food insecurity, poverty, and homelessness. It is wholly unfair that universities and coaches are lining their pockets while leaving so little, if anything, for the college athletes who make those profits possible.”

The NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis is shown on Thursday, March 12, 2020. (Michael Conroy, File/AP Photo)

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to “save college sports” in July.

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Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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