10 House Democrats ask NCAA about plans to protect women as ways to pay college athletes increase

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Ten Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives have asked the NCAA if and how college sports' major governing body plans to protect the interests of female athletes as the largest portion of NIL and revenue-sharing payments continue to be directed to male athletes.

The lawmakers, in a letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker dated Thursday, noted that President Donald Trump's administration rescinded Title IX guidance on name, image and likeness payments that required equitable distribution between male and female athletes.

The letter requests answers by Aug. 30 to five questions about the implementation of the recent House vs. NCAA antitrust lawsuit settlement:

— Will the NCAA encourage schools to allocate direct payments to male and female athletes equitably?

— With male athletes likely to continue receiving the bulk of NIL payments from third parties, will the NCAA refocus its own investments in women's sport to counteract the disparity?

— With 90% of the $2.8 million damages allocated to former athletes going to football and men's basketball players, how will the NCAA commit to ensuring damages are distributed in an equitable manner?

— By how much does the NCAA expect additional scholarship opportunities for women to increase overall funding for women's sports at Division I schools?

— What will the NCAA do to educate athletes — particularly female athletes — about the details of the settlement and the opportunities associated with it, along with the rights they may give up when signing contracts with their schools?

In a statement to The Associated Press, the NCAA did not directly address the questions.

Instead, the NCAA urged lawmakers to support the “SCORE Act,” a bill introduced last month by Florida Republican Gus Bilirakis and short for Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements Act. The proposed legislation would, in part, create mechanisms to protect NIL rights of athletes.

The NCAA said its investment in women's sports has “continuously and significantly increased in the last several years.” It pointed out that women's teams participating in the NCAA Tournament received shares of revenue for the first time last season and the creation of the 32-team Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament increased postseason opportunities. The NCAA also said it has continued efforts to sponsor new sports and “expand opportunities for women to compete in and benefit from college sports.”

“Regardless, Title IX is the law, and all NCAA schools must comply fully with the law and its expectations,” the NCAA said.

The NCAA has argued that it needs a limited antitrust exemption in order to set its own rules and preserve a college sports system that provides billions of dollars in scholarships and helps train future U.S. Olympians. Several athletes are suing the NCAA over its rule that athletes are eligible to play only four seasons in a five-year period, and in June a group of female athletes filed an appeal of the House settlement, saying it discriminated against women in violation of federal law.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports