Black lawmakers tank SCORE Act with calls for boycotts
Key takeaways
- For generations, Black athletes have helped build college athletics into one of the most powerful and profitable industries in American life, the caucus said.
- The decision was a major blow to the NCAA, which for months has been lobbying lawmakers on Capitol Hill to craft legislation addressing the mounting challenges it faces in the modern collegiate athletics landscape.
- College sports power brokers spent tens of millions of dollars trying to buy themselves a bailout in Washington, and it was athletes, not lobbyists, who stopped them, said Rep.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Link copied by Dominick Mastrangelo - 05/25/26 6:00 AM ET Link copied FILE Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks (88) sacks LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File) The SCORE Act, a controversial piece of legislation that aimed to curb the big business of college sports, has been torpedoed by a coalition of Black lawmakers who argued it would harm minority athletes and benefit only top-level universities, coaches and programs.
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), some of whom had previously voiced support for the proposal, in an unexpected reversal last week announced none of its members would vote for the act, forcing House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to pull it from the floor.
The CBC said it was unwilling to support any legislation that benefits major athletic institutions that continue to remain silent while Black voting rights and Black political power are being systematically dismantled across the South.