• Loading stock data...
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Congresswoman Says College Sports Commission Process Is ‘Harming Athletes’

The letter is the latest development in a major battle in both houses of Congress over whether and how to legislate college sports.

Congresswoman Lori Trahan talks with people outside the Shriver Job Corps Center in Devens June 18
Worcester Telegram

On Friday, Rep. Lori Trahan (D., Mass.) sent a letter to College Sports Commission CEO Bryan Seeley blasting the organization’s slow approval process and demanding the organization provide Congress with more data around its approval process, Front Office Sports has learned.

“The CSC’s slow, inefficient, and inscrutable process is harming athletes who earned NIL deals and sowing new chaos in college athletics,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by FOS. “It may also be fomenting an anticompetitive environment for athlete compensation by specifically chilling college athletes’ ability to freely market their NIL.”

Trahan also wrote that information is particularly important given that Congress is considering legislation that would “codify provisions of the House settlement, the CSC, and its NIL Go system.” 

The letter asks that the CSC provide detailed data about the following by Nov. 1:, how many deals have been denied and are still in limbo; explanations of why the CSC has denied any of its deals; the average time it takes to submit a response to a deal. 

The College Sports Commission was created in the wake of the House v. NCAA settlement, which requires all D-I athletes to submit every deal over $600 to NIL Go, software created by Deloitte and run by the CSC, for scrutiny. The goal is to ensure all deals offer fair-market value for a valid business purpose—and aren’t pay-for-play deals in disguise. 

However, the system has been riddled with problems since its June launch—many of which Trahan cited in her letter. 

The CSC has flip-flopped on its rules on NIL collective deals and has released inaccurate data on deal approvals it had to correct publicly. Players have waited weeks—if not months—to receive word on whether deals have been approved. As a result, multiple NIL collectives have begun to pay players for deals that haven’t been approved yet, FOS previously reported. Meanwhile, schools are balking at signing an agreement that would bind them to the CSC’s rules because they’re unhappy about the punishments for potential rules violations, according to an On3 report.

“While the House settlement and the CSC was designed to bring clarity and stability to the system, the actual implementation has been anything but,” Trahan wrote.

The letter is the latest development in a battle in both houses of Congress over whether and how to legislate college sports. 

Trahan, a member of the House Commerce Committee (which has jurisdiction over college sports), has authored her own bill on the subject and has been a vocal critic of the SCORE Act. That NCAA-backed bill would codify certain terms of the House settlement, give the NCAA antitrust protections to protect it from future lawsuits, and prevent athletes from becoming employees. 

The SCORE Act is currently stalled as House Republican leadership and NCAA and power conference lobbyists work behind the scenes to ensure there are enough yes votes to pass the bill at some point after the government shutdown. 

In the Senate, three Democrats proposed a counter called the SAFE Act, which does not grant the NCAA antitrust authority or require amateur status; it also includes amending the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 to allow all media rights to be pooled and sold together. However, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R., Texas) has indicated he has no interest in bringing that bill before the committee.

Lawmakers have also raised concerns about the potential for a deal between private equity firms and the Big Ten. This week, Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R., Wash.) introduced a bill that would ban those types of deals. Also on Friday, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D., Wash.) sent a letter to Big Ten presidents raising concerns.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

SEC-Led College Football TV Ratings Are Still Up 4% Through Week 9

The average game audience this season is 1.95 million viewers.
FuboTV

Disney’s Fubo Deal Closes After DOJ Ends Antitrust Review

The deal creates the sixth-largest pay-TV company in the U.S.

SEC Coaches Kiffin, Smart Question LSU’s Firing of Kelly: ‘Ridiculous’ 

Three SEC teams have fired their football coaches midseason.
Tigers Head Coach Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. October 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.

College Football Coach Buyouts Are Not What They Seem

LSU will likely not have to pay Kelly the $53 million he has left on his contract.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
Sep 6, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly looks on against Louisiana Tech Bulldogs during the second half at Tiger Stadium.

The Governor Who Inserted Himself Into a College Football Coaching Search

The governor said he was concerned taxpayers would be left paying Kelly’s buyout.
Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) takes hits from UCLA Bruins linebacker Jalen Woods (9) and defensive back Rodrick Pleasant (18) during the fourth quarter at Rose Bowl.
October 30, 2025

Rose Bowl Lawsuit Claims UCLA Tried to Move Games to SoFi Stadium

UCLA has called the Rose Bowl home since the early 1980s.
Florida Gators linebacker Shemar James (6) tackles Georgia Bulldogs tight end Oscar Delp (4) during the first quarter of an NCAA college football matchup Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Florida Gators 34-20.
October 30, 2025

Florida-Georgia Rivalry Hits the Road—Still Nets Almost $10M Payouts

The annual rivalry game in Jacksonville is taking a two-year road trip.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

TNT Sports is going all-in on college athletics—bringing fans closer and giving brands a powerful new way to connect.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

TNT Sports is going all-in on college athletics—bringing fans closer and giving brands a powerful new way to connect.
Harold Perkins Jr interception as LSU Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. October 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
October 29, 2025

Louisiana Governor Says LSU Athletic Director Will Not Choose Next Football Coach

Jeff Landry has little confidence in Scott Woodward.
Sankey
October 28, 2025

SEC’s Sankey Blasts NCAA Plan to Allow Pro Sports Betting

NCAA athletes can bet on professional sports starting Nov. 1.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks to an audience at Louisiana Tech University on Aug. 25, 2025.
October 28, 2025

Why Louisiana’s Governor Was Involved in the Brian Kelly Firing

Jeff Landry reportedly hosted a meeting at the governor’s mansion Sunday.