Senate advances landmark Protect College Sports Act, ignoring SEC and Big Ten opposition with clock ticking

In a landmark infinitesimal for nan Senate Commerce Committee, nan Protect College Sports Act is now moving to a afloat ballot that has already started nan lobbying.

As leaders from crossed assemblage sports watched from afar, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) held tribunal during a markup convention connected Thursday that yet took purpose astatine those wrong nan SEC and Big Ten conferences that person opposed nan measure successful its existent form.

"What we did coming was opportunity we’re not going to fto nan astir powerful, richest conferences dictate to nan remainder of America what’s going to hap to 500,000 athletes," Cantwell said aft a 19-9 ballot was secured.

CRUZ AND CANTWELL REFUSE TO BEND TO SEC AND BIG TEN CONCERNS IN REVISED COLLEGE ATHLETICS LEGISLATION

There person been galore leagues that person gotten down nan bill, while those representing nan athletes person opposed.

But, garnering nan support from those wrong nan Big Ten and SEC footprint is intelligibly not an facet of this process that some Cantwell and Cruz are worried about.

Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas and president of nan Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Senator Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington and ranking personnel of nan committee, be a proceeding successful Washington, D.C., connected April 2, 2025. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg is scheduled to attest astir nan company's value standards and civilization overhaul. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Let nan lobbying continue, arsenic guidance holding firm

On Thursday morning, nan SEC and Big Ten released a associated connection connected nan legislation, making it clear they were not connected committee pinch giving it their support.

"From nan outset, we identified a group of basal revisions to nan PCSA basal for nan semipermanent sustainability of assemblage athletics," some conferences noted. "We person worked pinch some mostly and number unit to beforehand those revisions, which attraction connected amended supporting student-athletes and stabilizing nan assemblage sports environment. We proceed to judge revisions are needed to unafraid our support for nan bill.

"Despite our sustained engagement and bully religion efforts, these captious revisions person not been accepted. We are encouraged that respective Commerce Committee members stock our concerns and support these recommendations."

TED CRUZ, MARIA CANTWELL UNVEIL BIPARTISAN COLLEGE ATHLETICS BILL AMID NIL CHAOS, LAWSUITS, 'LANE KIFFIN RULE'

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey speaks during a roundtable chat connected assemblage sports successful nan East Room of nan White House connected March 6, 2026, arsenic Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick looks on. The Trump management hosted nan arena titled "Saving College Sports" pinch leaders from nan Power Four conferences, media executives and erstwhile coaches. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

For nan first clip ever, a assemblage sports measure has passed done a committee ballot that will now nonstop it to nan level for a imaginable landmark passage.

"No 1 sewage everything they wanted. But, we did create a model that stabilizes assemblage athletics," Cruz noted connected Thursday.

As for nan SEC and Big Ten opposing nan bill, this comes down to a number of different issues, including nan 'voluntary' pooling of media rights. Also, nan authorities taking purpose astatine some for perchance forming a 'Super League.' But, successful a concession connected Wednesday night, that changed.

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The anti-expansion proviso successful nan measure now includes nan Big 12 and ACC, pinch nan senators changing nan connection that now includes conferences that bring successful $700 cardinal successful gross from not being allowed to subordinate forces for illustration nan Avengers. This was a alteration from nan $1 cardinal antecedently projected successful nan legislation.

There will proceed to beryllium guidance from nan 2 biggest conferences successful assemblage athletics, but Senator Cantwell made it clear connected Thursday that they would not beryllium deterred from pressing on, moreover if nan SEC and Big Ten opposed.

What's adjacent for nan Protect College Sports Act? A Senate vote

Will this yet work? Potentially, but location will beryllium plentifulness of lobbying complete nan adjacent period that could yet alteration nan trajectory of this legislation. There are plentifulness of issues that stay to beryllium discussed.

But, location were besides a number of changes successful nan caller authorities that was revised this week.

Olympic and women's sports were separated from nan media authorities pooling provision, which now sits by itself. This would group a minimum danasiwa and roster size limit, that isn’t tied into nan gross generated from tv deals.

Mark Meador, commissioner astatine nan Federal Trade Commission, greets Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, president of nan Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., ranking personnel of nan committee, during a proceeding titled "Oversight of nan Federal Trade Commission" successful Washington, D.C., connected April 15, 2026. (Al Drago/Bloomberg)

Before it was revised, these basal protections would only beryllium enacted if nan media authorities were really pooled together.

As we person noted galore times complete nan past fewer weeks, location is going to beryllium pushback connected this measure connected aggregate fronts. There is connection successful nan authorities that limits subordinate compensation and nan expertise to transfer.

Given that, those opposed to nan measure are already preparing lawmakers for an summation successful lawsuits that would travel if you effort to put a circumstantial guardrail astir subordinate movement.

Also, location has been pushback from galore regarding unions that reason corporate bargaining for student-athletes.

Either way, nan ballot connected Thursday was historical successful this existent era of assemblage athletics. For years, nan House tried to push nan SCORE Act through, but came up short aggregate times, yet ending pinch nan authorities failing to make it to nan level for a vote.

Now, pinch nan Senate Commerce Committee opening up nan opportunity for nan Protect College Sports Act to beryllium voted connected Senate floor, this assemblage athletics measure has fundamentally passed nan historical point.

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But, pinch 50 days until Congress goes into recess for nan summer, nan timepiece is ticking for Senate Majority Leader John Thune to bring this to nan level for a vote. Can Cruz and Cantwell drum up capable support for this to pass?

That is yet conscionable 1 portion of this process, pinch nan House waiting.