SFC Endorses Senator Booker's College Athletes Bill of Rights
College athletes work long and hard to support a multi-billion dollar enterprise from which they are largely cut out from the profits. Sports Fans Coalition has long advocated for name, image, and likeness rights, health care for student-athletes, and much more. SFC has fought for and alongside college athletes in state legislatures. Now, SFC is excited to join the fight in Washington.
Led by Senator Booker (D NJ), ten Democratic Senators announced a framework for future legislation creating the “College Athletes Bill of Rights.” These senators include Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris (D CA). This framework follows a recent Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the topic at which Sports Fans Coalition submitted testimony.
"College athletes couldn't ask for a better champion on this issue than Senator Booker," said Brian Hess, Executive Director of Sports Fans Coalition." His experience on and off the field give college athletes the best chance for healthcare, educational opportunities, and compensation – things that all sports fans can agree college athletes deserve."
The "College Athletes Bill of Rights" includes:
Fair and equitable compensation
Enforceable evidence-based health, safety, and wellness standards
Improved educational outcomes and opportunities
Comprehensive health care coverage and support with sport-related injuries
Accountability across college sports
Freedom for college athletes to attend the institution of their choice
An oversight panel that gives athletes a real voice.
“Achieving success in college sets the stage for the rest of a student-athlete’s life,” said Sports Fans Coalition Board Member, Hope Solo. “I was privileged to be a division one athlete, and I worked hard to get there, but a full scholarship isn’t enough for many students to truly flourish. While I do believe struggle builds character, I also know I could have focused on being a better student and better all-round athlete if I had the means to do so.”
“This framework is a great leap forward in rights for the thousands of dedicated college athletes across the country,” said Sports Fans Coalition Board Member, Chris Lewis. “I know from experience what it is like to spend hours a day in training on the basketball court, balanced with a challenging course load, all while trying to make ends meet financially. College athletes deserve to have power over their own name, their likeness, and their own safety while in school. These are essential parts of their lives that should not be lost simply because you want to compete in college sports.”
Sports Fans Coalition is joined by the United Steelworkers, the National College Players Association, Color of Change, College Athletes for No More Names, College Athletes Unity, Athletes Igniting Action, and the Coalition for African Diaspora Student-Athletes in endorsing the "College Athletes Bill of Rights.”
Sports Fans Coalition looks forward to fighting alongside Senator Booker to ensure the rights of college athletes.
