The Protect College Sports Act Doesn’t Include Student Voices. It Should.
Originally published in The Hill on June 14, 2026.
At the end of the 2023 movie “AIR,” a dramatization of Nike’s signing of Michael Jordan, Ben Affleck as Nike founder Phil Knight worries that giving Jordan a share of revenue from products bearing his name might set a dangerous precedent.
Jordan’s deal — which the film notes nets him $400 million a year — opened the door for athletes to expand their earning potential. The film captures how an industry evolved once it recognized the value of players in shaping sports culture and building its marketing power.
College athletics is now experiencing its own Nike‑Jordan moment. The system, long accused of profiting off the backs of players, has changed in recent years because of name, image, and likeness or NIL policies that enable athletes to profit from their marketing value and share in the revenues generated from the sports they play.