E&W Blog

In Case You Missed It, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) penned an op-ed for Outkick that outlines reasons why sports fans can rally behind the Student Compensation and Opportunity Through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act—critical bipartisan legislation that creates fairness, transparency, and accountability in college sports. 


Why Sports Fans Should Cheer on the SCORE Act
By Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI)
December 2, 2025

...We all recognize that the era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) has transformed college sports. Student athletes finally have the ability to financially benefit from their hard work and even build a brand. That’s a good thing. But without a national framework, NIL has become a wild west pay-for-play system that tilts recruiting, distorts competition, and leaves both student athletes and universities wondering what’s allowed and what’s not.

...The SCORE Act gives student athletes and schools a single, clear set of national rules — the same rules, coast to coast. That means every university knows what it can do. Every student athlete knows what protections they have. And every fan knows the scoreboard reflects ability and teamwork, not whichever state has the loosest statute.

...That’s why the SCORE Act creates guardrails around predatory contracts, shady pay-for-play schemes, and outside actors who see student athletes as quick profits rather than young students pursuing a dream. It ensures student athletes get access to real academic counseling and career support. It protects scholarships from being pulled over injuries. It keeps their long-term success — not just their market value — at the forefront.

...As sports fans, we’re never shy about using our voices—yelling and cheering every play. Now, as NIL reshapes college sports and leaves student athletes open to exploitation, it’s time to use those same loud voices for something bigger. The SCORE Act gives us that power—to stand up and support the players and system we love.

I’m all in. And if you want college sports to remain the greatest show in America — you should be too.

Read the full op-ed here.