College sports bill headed to Senate for full vote...
Key takeaways
- Senate will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed solution to some of the issues facing the college sports industry.
- The Protect College Sports Act, spearheaded by Sens.
- The Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 on Thursday morning to move the bill forward to a full Senate vote.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Senate will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed solution to some of the issues facing the college sports industry.
The Protect College Sports Act, spearheaded by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash), would provide the NCAA with an antitrust exemption so that it could enforce a cap on payments to athletes as well as rules related to eligibility and transfers in college sports. It also creates an opportunity for schools to sell their media rights as one large entity rather than on a conference-by-conference basis, which is intended to help fund less profitable sports and close the significant financial gap between most of the college sports and its two biggest conferences, the SEC and Big Ten.
The Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 on Thursday morning to move the bill forward to a full Senate vote. The details of the proposal are still subject to change. Its path to becoming a federal law remains an uphill battle, facing a time crunch ahead of November's elections and opposition on several fronts. Most notably, leaders from the SEC and Big Ten say they oppose the bill as it stands now.