Committee Releases Revised Protect College Sports Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today released the revised text of the Protect College Sports Act following the public endorsement Friday night from the Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences. Less than two months after the introduction of the legislation and just over five weeks since an overwhelmingly bipartisan committee vote (19-9) to advance the bill, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) struck an agreement on modified language.
 
Changes to the legislation include:

• Adopted the House Settlement definition of “Associated Entity”;
• Ensured a “hard” revenue share cap; closed off loopholes and ensured associated entity deals count towards the cap;
• Added certification requirements for multimedia rights holders (MMRs), sponsors, apparel companies, and vendors to ensure legitimate NIL deals;
• Increased NIL deal transparency;
• Eliminates improper compensation to recruit high school athletes;
• Established a $22.5 million retention fund, with up to $5 million in additional retention spending unlocked dollar-for-dollar by NIL spending on women’s and Olympic sports, for a maximum of $27.5 million;
• Added more flexibility to cut down on tampering and improper recruitment practices;
• Clarified participation in pooled media entity is voluntary;
• Clarified traditional rivalry scheduling requirements are only for members of the pooled media entity;
• Closed the private equity loophole for forming a super league; and
• Protected conference movement and expansion subject to 19 institution cap for large conferences.

 
Chairman Cruz stated: “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, 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 stated: “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 to end the disorder facing college athletics by establishing nationwide standards for name, image, and likeness (NIL), transfers, eligibility, and enforcement. With support from the two largest conferences in the NCAA, the bill now has the backing of 28 collegiate athletic conferences, more than 370 colleges and universities across all 50 states and Washington, D.C, historically black colleges and universities, hundreds of thousands of student athletes, and President Donald Trump, marking a significant milestone as the bill advances in Congress. 
 
Additional endorsements for the bill include: the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the players associations for the NFL and the NBA, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Team USA Athletes’ Commission (Team USA AC), and National Governing Body Council (NGBC). 
 
Polling released earlier this month revealed that a majority of American voters (72%) support the Protect College Sports Act. An overwhelming majority of voters and sports fans recognize that college athletics have reached a breaking point, with nearly three-quarters (73%) agreeing – regardless of political affiliation – that the combination of an unrestricted transfer portal and skyrocketing player compensation has created too much chaos and reform is needed. 
 
In addition to Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and Senator Schmitt, cosponsors of the landmark legislation include Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). 
 
To view recent revisions to the legislation, click HERE. 
 
To view a fact sheet on the legislation, click HERE.

To view the updated bill text, click HERE. 
 
To view the full list of supporters, click HERE. 

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