Cicley Gay says college sports reform needs athlete power, not just protections

After the Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act 77-22, BLM Sports founder Cicley Gay said the fight over college athletics should also focus on who holds power in the system. Her commentary argues Black athletes, families and HBCUs need a seat at the table as Congress moves the bill to the House.

Why it matters: - The Senate’s bipartisan 77-22 vote moves college sports closer to a federal rulebook on NIL, revenue sharing, scholarships, athlete health and safety, agents and transfers. - Cicley Gay says the bigger issue is whether athletes will have real influence over the rules that shape their compensation, mobility, health and futures. - Gay argues the debate matters most for Black athletes and HBCUs, which have helped drive the culture and economics of college football and basketball.

What happened: - The U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, or S. 4668, on a bipartisan 77-22 vote. - The measure now moves to the U.S. House of Representatives. - Gay, Black Lives Matter Foundation Board Chair and founder of BLM Sports, responded with a newly published commentary titled “The Senate Passed the Protect College Sports Act. But Who Holds the Power?” - Her commentary examines the legislation through the lens of athletes, families, Black communities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The details: - The legislation creates a federal framework for NIL rights, revenue sharing, scholarships, athlete health and safety, agents and transfers. - Supporters say the framework would bring more stability and legal clarity to college athletics. - Gay accepts those protections but says they are incomplete without athlete power and representation. - She writes from personal experience as the mother of two former Division I athletes and says that shaped her view of how universities and athletic programs handle young athletes’ health and futures. - Her commentary argues that financial limits and accountability should not fall only on athletes. - Gay points to the broader economics of college sports, including coaching compensation, institutional revenue, contracts and administrative decision-making. - She asks policymakers and industry leaders to examine where financial restraints are imposed and where economic power remains concentrated. - The Senate debate reflected those tensions. - Supporters framed the bill as a source of national standards and athlete protections. - Opponents including Sen. Cory Booker, the NAACP and members of the Congressional Black Caucus raised concerns about athlete influence, institutional legal protections and consequences for Black athletes and other stakeholders. - Gay is also pushing for a broader Athlete Bill of Rights that would include independent athlete representation and meaningful due process, transparent revenue-sharing structures, portable healthcare protections, long-term protection for documented athletic injuries, greater transparency around contracts, fair athlete mobility, independent accountability mechanisms, stronger NIL infrastructure for HBCUs and direct athlete participation in future college-sports decisions. - Through BLM Sports, Gay says the organization has announced nearly $200,000 in investments supporting nonprofits, HBCU athletics and community initiatives tied to basketball, football, youth mentorship, wellness and community development. - BLM Sports says its work is organized around three principles: Care, Capital and Competition. - Care treats athletes as people before statistics. - Capital focuses on turning talent and opportunity into broader economic pathways. - Competition centers on expanding access to the resources young people and communities need to compete. - Gay argues that institutions benefiting from athletic talent should reinvest in the athletes, schools and communities that help power the sports economy.

Between the lines: - The response shows that the NIL and college-athletics debate is shifting from access to money toward control over the system itself. - Gay’s argument reflects a broader concern that legal protections can still leave athletes with limited leverage if they do not have a meaningful role in governance. - The focus on Black athletes and HBCUs underscores how federal college-sports reform could affect equity, representation and resource allocation, not just compliance.

What’s next: - The House will decide whether to take up the Senate-passed bill and advance a national framework for college athletics. - Gay is urging athletes, families, universities, conferences, policymakers, HBCUs, advocates and sports-industry leaders to stay engaged. - She says the next era of college athletics should not be designed only for athletes; athletes should help design it. - Gay’s full commentary is published on Medium: Read the full commentary - More information on the Senate vote is available in the committee release: Senate committee release