River Region Times

Rep. Barry Moore introduces NIL legislation to support student athletes and universities

Washington, D.C.- Today, Rep. Barry Moore and Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) introduced the Protect the Benefits for Athletes and Limit Liability (BALL) Act. The Protect the BALL Act addresses the onslaught of litigation universities and conferences face relating to student-athletes’ ability to receive compensation based on their name, image, and likeness (NIL).

"This language provides a legal safe harbor for universities, conferences, and the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) to provide new benefits for student-athletes, establish and enforce rules, and comply with the law without the constant risk of litigation."

"The Protect the BALL Act changes the game for more than 500,000 student athletes across our country by allowing schools to provide new benefits for them and comply with the law," said Moore. "Universities should be able to preserve and extend these opportunities for their student athletes without risk of litigation, and this legislation ensures they can continue to do so."

"NIL rules are ever-changing, heavily litigated, and essentially unenforceable — causing confusion and chaos for everyone involved," said Fry. "We must establish a liability shield on the national level to protect schools, student-athletes, and conferences as they navigate this new set of circumstances. This legislation is an integral component of saving college sports as we know it."

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