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The Protect College Sports Act is one step closer to becoming a law.
On Thursday morning, the Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 to advance the bill. It will now go to the floor of the U.S. Senate for a full vote.
The Protect College Sports Act would provide the NCAA with an antitrust exemption, allowing it to enforce payment caps for athletes as well as its rules regarding eligibility and transfers. It also allows college sports conferences to pool their media rights together.
That last stipulation has proven to be a major sticking point for the SEC and Big Ten, which do not support pooled media rights. The leagues oppose the bill in its current form and released a joint statement saying as much on Thursday.
"We continue to believe revisions are needed to secure our support for the bill," the SEC and Big Ten said, per ESPN's Dan Murphy. "... We are encouraged that several Commerce Committee members share our concerns and support these recommendations. We will continue working with stakeholders to ensure (the bill) delivers meaningful protections for student-athletes and lasting stability for college sports."
The bill does not currently provide any guidance for whether athletes could be classified as employees, which would allow them to unionize and collectively bargain.
Though it faces an uphill battle to even pass the Senate, it seems we're the closest we've ever been to a major Congressional intervention in college sports.
Contact/Follow @College_Wire on X and @College_Wires on Threads. Like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of college sports news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Protect College Sports Act advances to Senate floor for full vote
Continue reading...
On Thursday morning, the Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 to advance the bill. It will now go to the floor of the U.S. Senate for a full vote.
The Protect College Sports Act would provide the NCAA with an antitrust exemption, allowing it to enforce payment caps for athletes as well as its rules regarding eligibility and transfers. It also allows college sports conferences to pool their media rights together.
That last stipulation has proven to be a major sticking point for the SEC and Big Ten, which do not support pooled media rights. The leagues oppose the bill in its current form and released a joint statement saying as much on Thursday.
"We continue to believe revisions are needed to secure our support for the bill," the SEC and Big Ten said, per ESPN's Dan Murphy. "... We are encouraged that several Commerce Committee members share our concerns and support these recommendations. We will continue working with stakeholders to ensure (the bill) delivers meaningful protections for student-athletes and lasting stability for college sports."
The bill does not currently provide any guidance for whether athletes could be classified as employees, which would allow them to unionize and collectively bargain.
Though it faces an uphill battle to even pass the Senate, it seems we're the closest we've ever been to a major Congressional intervention in college sports.
Contact/Follow @College_Wire on X and @College_Wires on Threads. Like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of college sports news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Protect College Sports Act advances to Senate floor for full vote
Continue reading...
