Senate Races to Finalize ‘Protect College Sports Act’
The negotiations between the SEC and Big Ten over the ‘Protect College Sports Act’ have been intense and are reaching the final hours. Senators are making last-minute efforts to push the legislation through before it can be presented for a vote. Over the past five months, there have been numerous meetings, including late-night talks with involvement from the White House and various college sports conferences.
President Trump has called on lawmakers to finalize the act. The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, chaired by Senator Ted Cruz and ranking member Senator Maria Cantwell, has worked tirelessly to draft a bipartisan bill. Reaching an agreement seemed nearly impossible just a few days earlier.
Senator Maria Cantwell shared with OutKick-Fox News that progress is being made in safeguarding women and Olympic athletes. Ongoing discussions have occurred nationwide, with Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti in communication with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey.
Conference calls among SEC, Big 12, and ACC occurred on Thursday, highlighting the urgency as congressional aides and senate staff worked vigorously. A White House official stated that the President is closely monitoring these negotiations and is eager for the act’s completion. On Friday, sources confirmed that the President’s college sports committee, led by figures like New York Yankees president Randy Levine and Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell, plays a major role in the effort.
What he actually did was ignite a fuse between parties involved to get this legislation sorted out enough that the SEC and Big Ten could feel as though they would be able to put their support behind the bill enough to have their conference leaders start lobbying senators across their states to say ‘Yes’ to the bill.
With a push for the bill to reach the Senate floor before the summer recess, Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed skepticism about the timeline. His comments motivated parties to reach a resolution, allowing SEC and Big Ten commissioners Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti to announce progress at a joint press conference in Nashville.
The negotiations touched various points, including:
- Compliance with Multimedia Rights deals, ensuring money is not from universities
- Antitrust exemptions for transfer rules
- Stricter guidelines on tampering and penalties
- A retention pool increasing from $20 million to $22.5 million
- Limit on conference membership to 19, affecting team additions
- Rules for schools moving between conferences or remaining independent
- A ‘Lane Kiffin Rule’ on coaches leaving schools mid-season
The senators, especially Cruz and Cantwell, have been dedicated to securing enough support for the bill. Their persistence led to scheduling a potential cloture vote by early next week. Further discussions include SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Senator Eric Schmitt collaborating for a resolution. The timeline emphasizes urgency, as the Senate’s August recess looms, making a September return less favorable for the bill’s progression.
Expectations remain for a potential antitrust exemption discussion at a ‘Saving College Sports’ roundtable in March 2026, involving President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. With an eye on the clock, the focus is to bring this to a Senate vote before the recess.