Yes, Jim—based on current expert analysis and advocacy group warnings, the SCORE Act could significantly undermine Title IX protections and jeopardize the future of women’s sports if passed in its current form.
🚨 What’s at Risk?
The SCORE Act, designed to create a national framework for NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) compensation, does not explicitly include Title IX protections. That omission has sparked alarm among gender equity advocates, Olympic committees, and members of Congress.
“There’s a lack of mention of Title IX and lack of mention of gender in the SCORE Act, which is extremely disappointing and leads to a lot of ambiguity as to any protections,” said Dr. Lisa Delpy Neirotti of George Washington University.
⚖️ Title IX: A Cornerstone Under Threat
Title IX prohibits gender-based discrimination in any educational institution receiving federal funds. Historically, it’s been the backbone of women’s sports growth in the U.S. But the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights recently rescinded guidance that applied Title IX to NIL deals, calling it “overly burdensome”. That move, combined with the SCORE Act’s silence on gender equity, opens the door to:
- Unequal NIL compensation structures
- Reduced funding for women’s and Olympic sports
- Legal ambiguity around enforcement of gender equity
“I’m really concerned that we’re going back to the 1970s and earlier, before Title IX took effect,” warned attorney Jayma Meyer, a Title IX expert and professor at Indiana University.
🧨 Olympic and Non-Revenue Sports in the Crosshairs
The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) issued a formal letter to Congress urging revisions to the SCORE Act, warning that it could “roll back decades of progress for women’s sports and Olympic sports—for both women and men”. Without clear mandates, schools may prioritize revenue-generating sports like football and men’s basketball, leaving others to wither.
“Most of that $2.8 billion settlement money from House v. NCAA will go to football and men’s basketball players,” noted Shiwali Patel of the National Women’s Law Center.
🧭 Where Do We Go From Here?
The Democratic Women’s Caucus and advocacy groups are pushing for amendments that:
- Affirm Title IX’s applicability to NIL and revenue-sharing
- Ensure equitable compensation and investment in women’s sports
- Protect Olympic development pipelines and broad-based participation
If these changes aren’t made, the SCORE Act could codify a system that sidelines women athletes and erodes decades of progress.
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