Senate negotiators are continuing discussions with leaders of the Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences to resolve outstanding issues in a bill aimed at regulating college sports, with sponsors hoping for a vote before the chamber's summer recess next week.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a sponsor of the Protect College Sports Act, confirmed that conversations are ongoing. He and co-sponsor Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., aim to bring the bill to a vote before August 7, the final day the Senate is in session before an extended break. Senators are scheduled to return in the latter half of September, followed by another break in October, leaving limited time before the November midterm elections.
Central to the negotiations are proposed revisions including a "retention pool" of over $20 million for schools to retain athletes, which would effectively double the current revenue-sharing "salary cap" of $21.3 million for this academic year. However, the conferences are seeking clarification on how this increased revenue share would interact with rules governing third-party payments to players, which are seen as a significant factor in escalating roster costs.
Another point of contention is whether the proposed increase in revenue sharing aligns with the House settlement, a $2.8 billion lawsuit settlement that establishes rules for revenue sharing. Jeffrey Kessler, the plaintiffs' attorney, has indicated that he would need to review the specific language before determining its impact on the settlement.
Significant elements absent from the negotiation documents include provisions for antitrust protection or preemption of state laws. These have been key requests from nearly all college sports conferences and the NCAA since the legislative process began. Earlier in August, the SEC and Big Ten proposed "Common Sense Improvements" for the bill, with two of their ten points directly addressing antitrust and state law preemption.
Discussions have also touched on other aspects of college sports governance. Negotiators have explored granting more flexibility in requirements for the number of Olympic and women's sports programs some schools must offer. Additionally, there have been efforts to relax language related to conference expansion, potentially allowing leagues to grow to as many as 19 teams.
Language intended to prevent private equity investors from incentivizing schools to form a "super league" has also been part of the discussions, though conferences may seek further refinement of this provision.