The NCAA is strengthening its federal lobbying moves in the beginning of the Trump government, expending hundreds of thousands of bucks to control the newly Republican-headed Congress.
The agency disbursed $450,000 on lobbying during 2025’s first quarter, nearly doubled the payment it spent during the corresponding period in 2024. The payment is a continuance of the NCAA’s decades-long federal lobbying measure to persuade Congress enact a law that would grant it influence over the amateurism regulations that remain.
Since last year, the NCAA has been trying to persuade Congress to formalize the terms of the House v. NCAA settlement.
“The note I obtained when I came [in Washington] was: clean up your own home, and then come converse to us,”
NCAA president Charlie Baker commented to reporters during the men’s Final Four.
The NCAA views the settlement as evidence that it has taken all possible steps to reform college sports, and now it’s Congress’ responsibility to intervene to safeguard the remaining rules and enable the legal enforcement of additional measures, such as transfer restrictions.
To achieve this, the NCAA seeks antitrust protections, the preemption of state laws regarding NIL (name, image, and likeness), and a clause that stops college athletes from being classified as employees.
Last May, the NCAA and conferences defined the compensation plan as a “road map” for Congress. A federal judge is anticipated to issue a ruling on final approval within the next few weeks.
“NCAA is instituting positive reforms for student-athletes and responding to different issues in college athletics by mandating health and wellness benefits and guaranteeing scholarships,” the NCAA SVP for External Affairs added in a statement to Front Office Sports. “But some of the threats facing college sports can only be addressed by Congress, and the Association is working with student-athletes and their institutions to push for bipartisan legislation.” Buckley pointed out the NCAA’s challenges in classifying athletes as amateurs and regulating the transfer portal, among other issues, that necessitate congressional support.
The NCAA works as a nonprofit, maintaining a permanent headquarters in Indianapolis with multiple workers responsible for executing titles, supporting laws, and certainly, lobbying. However, the NCAA sees itself as a “member-driven” organization—merely implementing the wishes of the schools it represents.
Industry experts indicated that Republicans may have been more open to the NCAA’s requests, which could explain their increased lobbying efforts to pass legislation. Nevertheless, sources have informed FOS that certain House and Senate Republicans oppose at least the NCAA’s requested antitrust exemptions for several reasons, notably a lack of trust in the NCAA.
From January to March, the NCAA disbursed $90,000 to its established lobbying firm, Brownstein Hyatt, as noted in a quarterly lobbying report submitted on April 18.
The NCAA invested $90,000 in lobbying efforts with theGroup DC, a significant player they engaged in January. theGroup DC symbolizes major customers like Pepsico and UnitedHealth Group. The firm’s new client registration form lists three lobbyists: two with Democratic backgrounds and one with experience working for Republicans.
A budget of $270,000 was also allocated to the NCAA’s lobbyists. Since 2018, Dawn Buth has been engaged full-time handling government ties. Buth worked independently for several years before the organization hired a second in-house lobbyist last July: Kevin McColaugh, who previously worked for NCAA president Charlie Baker when he served as governor of Massachusetts.
The NCAA generally allocates between $120,000 and $140,000 for its internal lobbying activities, a figure that remained the same with McColaugh’s inclusion during the third and fourth quarters of 2024.
