NAACP Condemns Senate Passage of the So-Called 'Protect College Sports Act'

WASHINGTON - The NAACP today strongly condemned Senate passage of the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) warning that the legislation prioritizes the interests of wealthy athletic conferences, universities, and industry stakeholders over the student-athletes whose labor powers the multibillion-dollar college sports economy.

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson released the following statement:

"The so-called Protect College Sports Act only serves to give even more power to colleges and universities at the expense of student-athletes.

"It protects those powerful schools from accountability while stripping student-athletes' ability to collectively bargain and limits their compensation for their hard work and skill. On top of that, the bill offers vague promises of funding for HBCUs as a political trade-off for the harm this legislation will do to Black student-athletes.

"We cannot continue to ask Black student-athletes to generate billions in revenue on the field and the court while they shoulder all the risk and receive none of the guaranteed security they deserve, like secure long-term healthcare and educational protections. Sharecropping is over, and this bill will only serve to harm student-athletes."

The PCSA's supporters have attempted to frame the bill as a victory for student-athletes and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). But according to the bill's framework, it includes authorization for funding to HBCUs without the appropriation of that funding. This is a major distinction that makes the bill's framework significantly less impactful, as Black student-athletes are asked to accept new restrictions on their economic rights and advocacy power, while providing additional protections to the institutions that profit from college athletics.

"As the parent of a D1 student-athlete, I think the biggest failure in this bill is that student-athletes don't have a voice or any input into legislation that will impact them the most," said parent Kevin Weaver in Cleveland, Ohio.

Earlier this year, the NAACP launched its Out of Bounds Campaign, calling out the some of the most profitable college athletic programs in America, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. Meanwhile several southern state governments that benefit from their college athletic programs are moving to limit, reduce, weaken, or erase Black voting representation by creating new, unconstitutional voting districts following U.S. Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais decision. Profiting off of Black athletes while suppressing their vote is out of bounds.

As an extension of the Out of Bounds Campaign, the NAACP is calling for a college sports framework that protects the entire ecosystem by guaranteeing student-athletes meaningful rights and long-term security. Those protections should include:

• Collective bargaining rights

• Continued access to education following sports-related injuries

• Lifetime healthcare coverage for life-altering injuries

• Ownership and protection of athletes' name, image, and likeness rights

• Commitments on hiring, supporting, and recruiting of Black coaches.

The Association also supports stronger investments in HBCUs and meaningful commitments to recruiting, hiring, and supporting Black coaches and students.

As the legislation advances, the NAACP will continue advocating for policies that place athletes, especially Black student-athletes, at the center of any discussion about the future of college sports.

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About NAACP

The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund - also referred to as the NAACP-LDF - was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.