The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation released the revised text of the Protect College Sports Act on Aug. 4, following public endorsement from the Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences. The updated legislation comes less than two months after its introduction and five weeks after a bipartisan committee vote advanced the bill.
Chairman Ted Cruz, Ranking Member Maria Cantwell, and Senator Eric Schmitt reached an agreement on modified language that includes adopting the House Settlement definition of “Associated Entity,” ensuring a hard revenue share cap with associated entity deals counting toward it, adding certification requirements for multimedia rights holders and sponsors to ensure legitimate name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, increasing NIL deal transparency, eliminating improper compensation to recruit high school athletes, establishing a $22.5 million retention fund with additional spending unlocked by NIL investments in women’s and Olympic sports for a maximum of $27.5 million, providing more flexibility to address tampering and recruitment practices, clarifying voluntary participation in pooled media entities as well as rivalry scheduling requirements for members only, closing private equity loopholes related to super league formation, and protecting conference movement subject to a 19-institution cap for large conferences.
Chairman Cruz said, “We listened to our colleagues, addressed their concerns, and improved an already strong bill. The Protect College Sports Act is our last best chance to preserve one of America’s great unifying traditions for the athletes who compete and the fans who fill the stands. This landmark bipartisan legislation will halt the chaos that is unfolding across the nation and restore order to the ongoing arms race while preserving opportunities for hundreds of thousands of student athletes. The coalition behind this bill now spans twenty-seven conferences including the Big Ten and SEC, hundreds of universities, HBCUs [historically black colleges or universities], student athletes, Team USA, and professional sports leagues. College sports cannot afford another punt. I urge my Senate colleagues to finish the drive and get this bill across the goal line.”
Senator Schmitt said, “As a former college athlete and a lifelong fan I want to see college sports preserved for future generations to enjoy. If Congress doesn’t step in to restore order to an increasingly chaotic system programs across the country could be forced to shutter. I’m proud to have worked with Senators Cruz and Cantwell on this bipartisan bill to address issues with the transfer portal lack of eligibility rules and broken policies hurting student athletes. It’s the result of months of good-faith conversations with the conferences coaches and athletes who make college sports one of America’s favorite traditions and now it’s time to get it across the finish line.”
The Protect College Sports Act aims at establishing nationwide standards for NIL rights transfers eligibility rules enforcement procedures ending what supporters describe as disorder in college athletics. Backers include 28 collegiate athletic conferences, more than 370 colleges nationwide, historically black colleges, hundreds of thousands of student athletes, President Donald Trump, major professional leagues, players associations, Team USA Athletes’ Commission, and National Governing Body Council among others.
Polling released earlier this month showed majority support among American voters (72%) for this legislation; nearly three-quarters agreed reform was needed due to chaos caused by unrestricted transfer portals combined with rising player compensation.
According to the official website, the Senate Commerce Committee serves as a standing committee focused on reviewing legislation involving commerce, science, and transportation during congressional sessions led by senators from both parties out of its main office in Washington D.C.