College football’s biggest power brokers just kept a major sports bill alive. The Big Ten and SEC agreed Friday night, July 31, to support the Protect College Sports Act after Senate negotiators made last-minute changes to the language surrounding third-party NIL deals and associated entities.
That decision pulled the bipartisan legislation out of what looked like a dead end and gave it a chance to reach the Senate floor before lawmakers leave Washington for their August recess. The bill still needs 60 votes to end debate before an up-or-down vote can happen.
For college football fans, the most important piece is money. A revised version includes a retention pool of more than $20 million that schools could use to keep players from transferring, on top of the current $21.3 million revenue-sharing limit for this school year. The proposal also tries to bring more structure to third-party payments, one of the biggest reasons roster costs have exploded.
But this is not a done deal. Questions remain about how the increased revenue sharing would fit with the House settlement, the $2.8 billion agreement that established the current framework for athlete payments. Antitrust protection and federal preemption of state laws also remain major issues in the negotiations.
- Senate sponsors are targeting a vote before August 7.
- The bill would also protect roster spots and opportunities in women’s and Olympic sports.
- The Big Ten and SEC support is a major shift after both leagues resisted earlier versions.
Fan pulse: The sport’s most powerful conferences now have a seat at the table. Whether they can help push the bill across the finish line is the next pressure-packed chapter.
