Big Ten, SEC Back College Sports Bill After Pay Deal
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- Big Ten and SEC agreed to support the Protect College Sports Act after securing concessions on third-party name-image-likeness deals and associated entities, ending weeks of opposition.
- Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell advanced the bipartisan bill, with Cruz urging swift passage after conference backing and Cantwell emphasizing protection for women and Olympic athletes.
- School presidents from both conferences approved the revised legislation, which allows schools to pay players up to $27.5 million in addition to the existing $21.3 million cap on athlete compensation.
- Cody Campbell, Texas Tech regent and key policy architect, called the conferences’ support a 'major breakthrough' that brings the Senate closer to a vote on overhauling college sports payments.
- NCAA president Charlie Baker pushed for immediate passage after recent court losses weakened NCAA eligibility rules, citing urgency amid systemic instability in college athletics.
- Dan Hurley, UConn’s two-time national championship coach, publicly condemned the current state of college sports as a 'complete [expletive] show,' amplifying pressure for legislative intervention.
Why it matters: The shift by the Big Ten and SEC unlocks a path to 60 Senate votes before recess, directly altering financial power in college sports: if passed, top programs gain flexibility to spend over double the prior limit, while smaller conferences risk being outspent and the NCAA’s enforcement role may shrink as third-party NIL deals decline.
