Senate negotiators are working to resolve differences with the Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences over a bill aimed at regulating college sports. Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell hope to bring the Protect College Sports Act to a vote before the Senate’s summer break. The bill includes a $20 million-plus “retention pool” to help schools keep players, doubling the current revenue-sharing cap. The conferences are concerned about how this increase might affect third-party payments to players and a $2.8 billion lawsuit settlement on revenue sharing. Missing from the negotiations are discussions on antitrust protection and state law preemption, which are key issues for the conferences and NCAA. Other topics include flexibility in sports program requirements and conference expansion.
QUESTION: How might changes in college sports regulations impact student-athletes’ experiences and opportunities?
Senators still working with SEC, Big Ten on thorny issues involved in college sports bill
