MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said he needs time to read closely before making an assessment, but he’s encouraged that Congress has remained engaged in attempting to address the issues facing collegiate sports.
A bipartisan bill was introduced Wednesday in the U.S. Senate that would bring reform and stability to a fluid collegiate athletic landscape that has brought consternation to its coaches and leaders.
The Protect College Sports Act comes in the wake of the SCORE Act being pulled from a vote on the floor last week, giving Congress another shot at providing structure via limited antitrust protection.
“I’ve not read the bill, so I can’t go very deep. There will be a conversation for another day,” Sankey said at the SEC spring meetings. “I appreciate the work. I think the fact people are engaged shows we’ve been effective at raising awareness and educating.”
The new bill, written by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), would most notably:
- Prevent former professional athletes from the U.S. or other countries from playing college sports.
- Provide an option to pool media rights, on a voluntary basis, with the bill stating that a threshold of 75% of the 138 Football Bowl Subdivision schools have to be in agreement.
- Limit athletes to transferring one time without penalty.
- Require agents to register and cap agent payouts on NIL deals at 5%.
- Prevent schools from hiring coaches from other institutions during the playing season.
- Allow athletes five seasons of eligibility over a five-year span.
- Support women’s and Olympics sports, securing roster allotments.
The bill comes after University of Georgia President Jere Morehead and Bulldogs football coach Kirby Smart suggested the SEC should create and enforce its own rules in the wake of national legislation that would regulate rules on eligibility, tampering and NIL dealings.
“College sports are at a breaking point,” Cruz told Fox News. “Fans can see their favorite teams being hollowed out by transfer chaos, fake NIL bidding wars, eligibility lawsuits and a system that allows the richest programs to keep pulling away.
“The Protect College Sports Act is a bipartisan plan to restore order. Student-athletes can profit from their name, image and likeness, but college sports still needs real rules, competitive balance, rivalries and a true connection to education. This bill protects athletes and fans and keeps college sports from becoming a two-conference minor league.”
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