# College Athlete Economic Freedom Act Summary
This bill establishes federal protections allowing college athletes to earn money from their names, images, and likenesses without restrictions from their schools or athletic associations. Currently, many colleges prohibit athletes from profiting off their personal brand, and this legislation would make such prohibitions illegal. The bill covers all college athletes, including international students on student visas, and requires schools to provide equal opportunities for all athletes regardless of gender, race, or sport when facilitating name, image, and likeness deals.
The legislation prohibits schools and athletic conferences from controlling how athletes hire agents or legal representatives for these contracts, bars schools from coordinating to limit payments athletes receive, and requires that any group licensing agreements involving multiple athletes result in compensation being shared with those athletes. It also mandates that institutional collectives supporting athlete deals register with the Federal Trade Commission and report annually on the number and value of deals disaggregated by gender, race, and sport to track disparities.
The bill authorizes funding for market research on how much money college athletes are earning through these deals and includes enforcement mechanisms through the Federal Trade Commission and private lawsuits, with violators facing damages and potential Sherman Act antitrust penalties. It preempts conflicting state laws while allowing states to continue certifying athlete agents, and it clarifies that international college athletes can legally earn money from their name and likeness without jeopardizing their student visa status.
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