Senator Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., stated Friday that a key piece of federal college sports legislation likely has the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate. Schmitt, a sponsor of the Protect College Sports Act, called the next two weeks critical for the bill.
Leaders from the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten Conference, both of which oppose the bill in its current form, have met with bill sponsors Senators Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., to discuss potential changes. Schmitt expressed concern that without federal legislation, the landscape of college sports could become “even further unrecognizable” within three years, predicting potential financial strains that could lead to the folding of women’s sports teams.
The legislation aims to provide the NCAA and its conferences with limited liability protection and preempt the varying state laws that currently govern name, image, and likeness (NIL) payments to athletes. It also includes a provision allowing conferences to pool their media rights, a move proponents suggest could generate significant revenue, though it is opposed by the SEC and Big Ten.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey previously outlined concerns in a letter to school presidents, suggesting that the bill could create more problems than it solves. He specifically recommended revising a section that permits athletes to file civil lawsuits in certain circumstances, arguing that its current wording might lead to increased litigation rather than its reduction.
Even if the Senate passes the bill, its prospects in the narrowly divided House of Representatives remain uncertain. Similar federal legislation, such as the SCORE Act, has faced significant criticism from both Democrats and Republicans and has not made it to a floor vote.