The Congressman Trying to Save College Football

Sep 18, 2025
25 mins

Episode Description

This week on Next Up with Adam Breneman, Congressman Russell Fry joins the show to talk about the SCORE Act, his bipartisan proposal to bring stability back to college athletics.



Fry explains why the current NIL and transfer portal landscape feels like the Wild West, and how the SCORE Act aims to create a single national standard. We dive into what the bill means for athletes, schools, and fans: protecting student-athletes from predatory agent contracts, ensuring financial education, preserving Olympic and non-revenue sports, and guaranteeing that players can profit from their name, image, and likeness.



The conversation also covers why athletes should remain student-athletes rather than employees, the balance between revenue sharing and true NIL deals, and the NCAA’s future role if the legislation passes. Congressman Fry shares his perspective as a lifelong South Carolina sports fan, and why he believes this bill is crucial to saving the future of college sports.



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CHAPTERS:


0:00 - Intro



1:34 - South Carolina Football



2:09 - Why College Athletics matter so much



3:28 - Congressman Fry’s journey



4:20 - Breaking down the SCORE Act



6:16 - Pillars of the SCORE Act



8:06 - How the SCORE Act Affects Agents



10:14 - Salary cap vs true NIL



11:51 - President Trump’s support on the SCORE Act



12:56 - Student-Athletes as employees



14:32 - Feedback on the SCORE Act



15:46 - SCORE Act in Congress



16:42 - Most consistent pushback on the SCORE Act



17:27 - Misconceptions about the SCORE Act



18:08 - NCAA’s role in SCORE Act



19:10 - Implementation of SCORE Act



20:30 - Watching college athletics change



21:49 - Giving student-athletes a voice



22:56 - Why the SCORE Act matters



23:53 - Charlie Kirk



On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans. 



Next Up is a Front Office Sports Network show featuring candid, open, and honest conversations with the most impactful figures in college sports including head coaches, athletes, athletic directors, commissioners, entrepreneurs, media personalities, agents, and executives shaping the business of college sports. 



Adam is a former All-American, Penn State alum and media personality. Front Office Sports is the leading multi-platform media and news organization covering the intersection of sports, business and culture.

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