“You Don’t Want Us to Solve This”: Agenda Setting in the Federal Hearings on Name, Image, and Likeness

Abstract

From 2020 to 2024, the United States Congress held 11 hearings pertaining to name, image, and likeness (NIL). Various stakeholder groups have participated in these hearings including Congress and those looking to “maintain” or “disrupt” college sport and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Despite the significance of NIL to college athletics, limited research has examined these hearings and the messages communicated within them. Thus, critical discourse analysis and agenda setting theory were used to shed light on the language surrounding NIL through the Congressional hearings. Findings demonstrate the aforementioned groups’—Congress, “Maintainers,” and “Disruptors”—used narrative framing and topic selection, resulting in conflicting agendas and mixed messaging. Implications include improved communicative and political strategies for NIL stakeholders, enhanced NIL education for college athletes, and the extension of agenda setting theory to sport communication.