Notebook: Charlie Baker Pushes Families to Support the SCORE Act

NCAA president Charlie Baker sent a letter last week to every high school-aged athlete registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, urging families to support the SCORE Act.

The SCORE Act, a Republican-led bill in the House, seeks to establish federal standards for NIL, regulate agents, prevent scholarships from being revoked due to injury or performance, and require universities to provide academic support and healthcare for former athletes. The bill would also mandate that schools maintain a minimum number of varsity teams — a safeguard designed to protect women’s sports.

Baker told families to support the bill in part because it also includes “common-sense eligibility rules — like limits on how many years a student-athlete can compete.”

As I reported last week, multiple lawsuits are already challenging NCAA eligibility caps. In his letter, Baker warned: “If this new trend is allowed to continue, present-day college athletes might be able to stay on rosters indefinitely, reducing the number of scholarships, roster spots, and competitive opportunities available to high school players seeking to earn a spot.”

Analysis: Baker is being a bit sensationalistic here — but he’s not entirely off-base. No one is suing the NCAA for indefinite eligibility right now, but could that be the next step? It wouldn’t be shocking.