SEC, Big Ten jointly oppose college sports bill
Key takeaways
- Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told The Associated Press "the bill is drafted to preempt state laws that conflict with the provisions in this bill."
- The SEC-Big Ten statement came out less than 24 hours before a scheduled hearing about the bill in front of the Senate Commerce Committee.
- One of the bill's key provisions would give conferences an option to pool their media rights, an idea the Big Ten and SEC have long claimed would not result in a financial windfall that proponents suggest.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
The Southeastern and Big Ten conferences said the "bill leaves critical issues unresolved," including not "meaningfully" preempting state laws with a federal one, which has long been considered a key element for a measure to get support from the NCAA and the conferences.
In an interview last week, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who drafted the bill with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told The Associated Press "the bill is drafted to preempt state laws that conflict with the provisions in this bill."
The bill, called the Protect College Sports Act, would provide the NCAA with an antitrust exemption to enforce several rules that have been recently challenged in court, including limiting transfers and athlete eligibility and prohibiting schools from poaching a coach during the season.