House Vote on SCORE Act Canceled

The House of Representatives was set to vote on the SCORE (Student Compensation and Opportunity with Rights and Endorsements) Act, aimed at regulating name, image, and likeness rights, but the vote was abruptly called off just prior to the scheduled time.

Originally planned for around 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the vote was canceled at 2 p.m., with the chamber eventually tallying 210-209.

Despite the White House endorsing the bill, three Republican senators—Byron Donald from Florida, Scott Perry from Pennsylvania, and Chip Roy from Texas—joined Democrats in opposing bringing the bill to the floor. Democrats have predominantly voiced their disapproval, calling on House members to reject it.

The White House noted, “America’s unique collegiate athletics institution provides life-changing educational and leadership development opportunities to over 500,000 student-athletes, supported by nearly $4 billion in scholarships each year.” They added that the future of college sports could be at risk due to serious legal and financial uncertainties, and emphasized the need for federal action to protect student-athletes.

The SCORE Act seeks to offer the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption to prevent athletes from being classified as employees of their schools, which, in theory, could shield them from lawsuits regarding eligibility. However, it also stipulates that schools cannot use student fees to fund NIL payments. There’s speculation that Republicans may attempt to reschedule the vote as early as Thursday.

Chip Roy expressed his opposition to the bill, stating it was “well-intentioned but inadequate,” and pointed out that there are unresolved issues he believes could have been addressed.

The Congressional Black Caucus also voiced their dissent, stating, “Everyone agrees that college athletes need stronger protections. Unfortunately, the SCORE Act does not provide them.” They raised concerns that the bill would remove essential labor and employment rights from college athletes, including the right to form unions, and criticized the unfair treatment many student-athletes face, particularly those from less affluent backgrounds.

Looking ahead, the implications of this legislation and its rejection could significantly reshape conversations around college sports and the rights of student-athletes.