Why It Matters
The University of Notre Dame lists collegiate athletics and name, image and likeness (NIL) among the issues it lobbied on in its third-quarter report. Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua testified at a June 3 Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing titled "Protecting College Sports: Supporting Student Athletes, Restoring Fair Competition, and Saving the Games Fans Love," which examined the Protect College Sports Act.
By the Numbers
The university's in-house third-quarter filing reports $180,000 in lobbying expenditures, down $10,000 from the second quarter and up $10,000 from the third quarter of 2025. Across all five registrants, Notre Dame's combined third-quarter total was $290,000, down $18,270 from the second quarter and up $20,000 from the third quarter of 2025.
Outside registrants and their third-quarter fees: BGR Government Affairs LLC: $60,000; Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP: $30,000; Cornerstone Government Affairs Inc.: $20,000; Lewis-Burke Associates LLC: $0.
Crystal Martinez, executive director of federal relations, previously served in the offices of former Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX) and former Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). Ali Nepola, senior director of federal relations, previously served as a senior legislative assistant in Rep. James Comer's (R-KY) office.
Broader Context
The Senate passed S. 4668, the Protect College Sports Act, by a 77-22 vote on Sept. 28, according to the supplied legislative record. The House received the measure Oct. 5 and held it at the desk. Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua testified at the June 3 Senate Commerce hearing on the legislation, and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) quoted him in a June 4 release urging prompt action and emphasizing protections for women's and Olympic sports, scholarships and medical coverage. Athletes.org opposes the bill, arguing that it grants the NCAA and member institutions antitrust protections while allowing restrictions on athletes' compensation, transfers and eligibility.
The filing also names five fiscal 2027 spending measures. A continuing appropriations law funds the federal government through Dec. 11. H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027, passed the House; S. 4784, the Senate NDAA companion, awaits floor action, according to the supplied legislative information. H.R. 9260, the fiscal 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill, awaits a House floor vote. The American Council on Education described H.R. 9260 as proposing a 10% cut to the Education Department while increasing the maximum Pell Grant by $50 to $7,445.
H.R. 446, the Endowment Tax Fairness Act, introduced by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) in January 2025, proposed increasing the excise tax on private-college endowment investment income and was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.
The Bottom Line
The House received the Senate-passed Protect College Sports Act on Oct. 5, when it was held at the desk, according to the supplied legislative record. The continuing appropriations law provides fiscal 2027 funding through Dec. 11, and the fiscal 2027 appropriations measures include H.R. 9260, H.R. 8595, and H.R. 8646.
Lewis-Burke Associates LLC reported no lobbying income from Notre Dame in two of the last four complete quarters, a notable change in the university's outside lobbying expenditures.
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