College athletes have been living through a golden age since 2021. NCAA amateurism has begun to erode as players from the richest conferences rake in name, image, and likeness deals, leverage threats of transfers into six- or seven-figure checks, lounge in multimillion-dollar facilities, and enjoy more perks than many professionals. In coming months or years, they could win broadcast revenue sharing, collective bargaining power, and even employee status, thanks to ongoing federal court cases like House v. NCAA and campus unionization efforts.

But behind the scenes, the NCAA and Power 5 have coordinated a sophisticated campaign in Congress over the past five years to bring back amateurism for good. They want to not only halt future reforms, but also potentially reverse the gains already made.

Since 2019, the six entities have spent more than $15 million on some of the most powerful lobbying firms in Washington, D.C., and an undisclosed amount (likely in the millions) on well-connected public relations firms, public record and expert analysis show.