U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is partnering with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV, to sponsor legislation aimed at addressing the name, image and likeness situation facing college athletics.
A Supreme Court ruling in 2021 allowed college athletes to earn income from products that bear their name, image or likeness, which opened the floodgates for millions in lucrative deals and colleges making collective NIL payments part of their recruiting strategies.
Tuberville and Manchin say they want to create a national standard for NIL with rules that “protect student-athletes, maintain fair competition and compensation, strengthen transparency, and preserve the time-honored tradition of college sports,” according to a joint news release.
According to a fact sheet provided by the two Senate offices, the PASS Act would require collectives or boosters to be affiliated with an institution, prohibit NIL inducements, and require student athletes to complete their first three years of academic eligibility before transferring without penalty, with some exceptions. It would also direct the NCAA to oversee and investigate NIL activities, and report violations to the Federal Trade Commission.
“Student athletes should be able to take advantage of NIL promotional activities without impacting their ability to play collegiate sports,” said Tuberville, who spend more than 20 years coaching college football. “But we need to ensure the integrity of our higher education system, remain focused on education, and keep the playing field level.”
Manchin, who played college football at the University of West Virginia, had similar comments.
“Our bipartisan legislation strikes a balance between protecting the rights of student-athletes and maintaining the integrity of college sports,” he said. “I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to consider this commonsense legislation as a way to level the playing field in college athletics.”
A full fact sheet on the PASS Act is available online HERE.