U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), both members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, have released a bipartisan discussion draft of the College Sports Competitive Act. The proposed legislation would amend the Sports Broadcasting Act to permit colleges to collectively negotiate media rights for sports broadcasts. Lawmakers estimate this could generate over $9 billion in new revenue for college athletics.
Senator Cantwell said, "With women’s sports, Olympic sports, and other sports losing scholarships and roster slots every year, it is time to reverse the damage. Opening the Sports Broadcasting Act to college sports allows more revenue to be generated from sports viewing, and that new revenue can go toward supporting and growing opportunities in women’s and Olympic sports while still protecting consumers from being over-charged by having sports events behind pay walls. Fans should not have to pay extra to watch their home teams play on TV."
Senator Schmitt stated, “Colleges, large and small, have reached a breaking point. The current environment of run-away NIL deals, facility arms races and skyrocketing coaching contracts has put pressure on the entire system. If we don’t address the revenue problem, college sports, as we know and love them, will slowly disappear. This is a serious problem, and Congress needs to provide real solutions to help alleviate the pressure being put on schools. Allowing conferences and universities to voluntarily pool and sell their media rights together can unlock new revenue streams while preserving the broad-based athletic programs that make college sports the institution it is today. I’m thankful for President Trump’s leadership on this issue, and now it’s time for Congress to act to protect women’s sports, strengthen our Olympic pipeline, and restore stability to this uniquely American experience. Nobody will get everything they want – but everyone will continue to get to enjoy college sports for generations to come if Congress acts.”
The initiative comes as college football continues attracting large national audiences but lags behind comparable professional leagues in overall media revenues. The gap often leads schools facing budget pressures to reduce funding or cut women’s or Olympic sport programs.
Under the discussion draft proposal:
- All participating schools would receive increased media rights revenue compared with 2024-2025 levels.
- Every school would get a share of new income.
- Performance-based awards would be available for institutions driving viewership or reaching playoffs.
Participation in pooled media rights agreements would be voluntary for schools or conferences.
Key provisions of the bill include enabling collective media deals that could yield billions in additional funds; rewarding successful teams while ensuring minimum increases for all participants; creating a 14-member board representing top-revenue institutions along with athletes, academic representatives, and media experts; safeguarding scholarships for women’s and Olympic teams; allowing out-of-market fans access nationwide; and preventing local market games from moving behind paywalls.
Senator Cantwell has previously advocated athlete protections such as leading “Equal Pay for Team USA,” which became law in January 2025 ensuring equal compensation regardless of gender. She also introduced measures like the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement (SAFE) Act aimed at expanding athlete rights across all collegiate levels.
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee reviews legislation concerning commerce—including collegiate athletics—science policy issues, transportation matters during congressional sessions according to its official website. The committee includes senators from both parties under its chairman's direction here.
Additional actions by Senator Cantwell include introducing legislation with Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) intended at helping student-athletes retain earnings related to name-image-likeness agreements after their athletic careers end. She has also publicly warned against legislative proposals she believes may harm athlete protections or reduce opportunities in non-revenue generating collegiate programs.
