Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a former Division I athlete and member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement after a federal judge approved the proposed settlement in the House, Hubbard, and Carter v. National Collegiate Athletic Association lawsuits:

“This settlement is a long overdue acknowledgment of what we've known for a long time: amateurism is a relic of the past. This outcome wasn’t the result of college sports executives' forward thinking or university administrators' generosity. It happened because athletes stood up, spoke out, and demanded better.”

“For the first time, colleges will be able to pay athletes directly for the use of their name, image, and likeness. That’s not just a step forward – it’s an acknowledgement of the value athletes create. The challenge now lies in how these funds are distributed. Institutions must meet their obligations under Title IX, and we will be watching to ensure they do.”

“With this momentum, athletes can, and must, keep pushing. There’s much more work ahead to strengthen Title IX, ensure NIL rights extend to all college athletes, and center the health and safety of athletes in every conversation about reform. The greatest threat to that progress is misguided intervention by Congress that chokes off the hard-won gains athletes have fought to achieve. If Congress acts, it must focus on the actual challenges facing college athletics – not the balance sheets of powerful conferences.”

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