BSCG Listed as A Trusted Resource in NFL Supplements Memo
Sep 08, 2025
BSCG Listed as A Trusted Resource in NFL Supplements Memo
As the NFL season kicks off there’s a new protection package that can defend any player. The NFL’s 2025 Supplements Memo now lists BSCG as one of three trusted third-party certification providers that are resources for players. Here’s why that recognition matters, and how it provides the ultimate protection to players in a sport where strict liability leaves no room for excuses.
“It wasn’t me. It was the supplement I took.” That’s the standard excuse when someone tests positive and that’s just not going to cut it with major sports leagues like the NFL. The NFL’s latest Supplements Memo leaves no wiggle room and firmly states that every player is entirely responsible for what they put into their body.The league goes so far as to discourage the use of supplements.However, the NFL acknowledges players may choose to use sports supplements, and for those who do, the memo directs them toward three independent third-party certification programs that test products for banned substances, one of which is BSCG Certified Drug Free. That’s the kind of recognition that matters because it tells professional athletes exactly who they can trust.
No Free Passes for Contamination
Supplement contamination is perhaps the most common excuse offered by athletes when illegal performance enhancers are found in their systems. In many cases it is not just an excuse but a painful reality. Indeed multiple scientific surveys have shown that a significant percent of non-certified supplements are contaminated with drugs banned in sport. The latest survey in Australiashowed that 35% of 200 randomly purchased products online were contaminated. Even if this is proven to be a reality the NFL will not accept this as an excuse to reduce a sanction. Strict liability rules mean NFL players will face full sanctions even if a tainted supplement is the culprit, whether it is certified or not. This means that certification is even more important in the NFL than in other sports where proof that a contaminated supplement was likely to have caused a positive is often grounds for sanction reduction. In the NFL you better make sure your supplement in clean in the first place because there will be no second chances. One contaminated product can result in millions of dollars lost and permanent reputational damage that can impact contract negotiations long into the future. Certification significantly reduces the chances of banned substances that appear on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Prohibited List or NFL Prohibited List showing up in your supplement, but only if the lot you use has been tested.
BSCG is the Gold Standard in Banned Substance Certification and Testing
The NFL Supplements Memo includes BSCG along with other leading international third-party certification providers Informed Sport and NSF Certified for Sport. But how does the BSCG Certified Drug Free program compare? At BSCG we call ourselves the gold standard in third-party certification for a reason.Today BSCG covers more than 400 drugs banned in sport.Informed Sport covers 285 and NSF coves 290. So BSCG provides much broader protection based on the testing menu alone. Batch testing frequency is also essential to consider. BSCG Certified Drug Free and Informed Sport test every batch to ensure there are no gaps in the protection, NSF does not always test every lot. With any third-party certification program it is absolutely essential to verify that the actual lot you are using has been tested by searching the program database, otherwise the testing may not apply.
Recognition Beyond The NFL
While the NFL remains America's most-watched sport, one of the other four major sports that Americans watch is the UFC. This is another sporting body that has recognized BSCG. But in this case third-party certified products are the only UFC Approved Supplements. BSCG is one of the select groups of certification agencies that are specifically approved for use by UFC’s professional athletes. In the UFC the policy states that if a certified supplement were to cause a positive drug test the athlete would not face sanctions. If a non-certified product leads to a positive the full sanction would apply. This is a powerful effort to try to change behavior of fighters and ensure they only use third-party certified products. The NFL pushes players away from supplements, while the UFC recognizes they will be used and pushes third-party certified products given that reality. While the NFL and UFC have unique approaches, there is a common thread: they both want to reduce the risks faced by their athletes. This means turning to trusted third-party certifications if you are going to use supplements.
What’s Good for the NFL is Good for the U.S. Department of Defense
The U.S. Department of Defense and our service members face similar risks as professional athletes when it comes to supplement contamination, except in the military a positive drug test could mean the end of your career. Period. In 2012 efforts began to better protect service members from the risks culminating in 2022 with Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 6130.06 that established Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) as the go to resource for supplement safety with the goal of guiding our services members in the responsible use of dietary supplements. On their site they have an OPSS Scorecard to check dietary supplement safety that starts by directing service members to look for third-party certification from BSCG Certified Drug Free, Informed Sport, NSF Certified for Sport, and USP Verified. BSCG is proud to help do our part in protecting our service members as they dedicate themselves to protecting all of us.
Trusted Voices in Right Places
For athletes and brands, there is a very clear message that responsibility is absolute. NFL players probably won’t receive an exemption if they test positive for a banned substance, even if it is thanks to a tainted product. However, the league’s memo states that trusted third-party certification is the most effective way to mitigate that risk. At BSCG, our mission has always been to stay ahead of the ever-evolving supplements landscape and the legalities that surround it. With recognition from the NFL, UFC, and OPSS our role is not just to test products, but to protect careers at every level of competition and for military service members and first responders. In sports where responsibility lies with the athlete, the smartest play is always having trusted science on your side.
Why is Third-Party Certification Important to You?
So, what’s in it for you? It seems logical most supplement consumers don’t want to take a 35% chance that undeclared drugs could be in their products. Do you? Besides, third party certification includes other key elements in addition to banned substance testing to ensure products are made according to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and have quality control systems in place to verify label claims and check for environmental contaminants. So if you want premium supplements that go above and beyond industry standards to verify product quality, then you want to look for third party certified products as well.
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