Cruz’s College Sports Bill Nears Senate Vote With 60 Needed as SEC, Big Ten Back Revisions
Updated
Updated · The Texas Tribune · Aug 7
Cruz’s College Sports Bill Nears Senate Vote With 60 Needed as SEC, Big Ten Back Revisions
3 articles · Updated · The Texas Tribune · Aug 7
Summary
A Senate floor vote could come as early as Saturday after Ted Cruz and allies revived the Protect College Sports Act with last-week concessions that won over the SEC and Big Ten.
The revised bill would force booster-backed NIL deals to count toward schools’ $21.3 million athlete pay cap and adds a new $27.5 million pool, lifting potential spending power to nearly $50 million.
That support broke a weeks-long impasse over revenue sharing and media-rights pooling, with negotiators making conference participation in pooling explicitly voluntary and adding limits on further realignment.
The measure still faces resistance from senators seeking more time or filing amendments, while labor groups, athlete advocates and the Congressional Black Caucus urge Democrats to block it unless athlete concerns are addressed.
The bill needs 60 Senate votes before moving to the House, and its path could get harder after Labor Day as the midterm calendar tightens.
Will the looming 2026 Protect College Sports Act trigger a frantic, multi-million dollar conference realignment race before the five-year penalty begins?
Could a controversial federal cap on conference sizes force Notre Dame to finally surrender its historic football independence to the Big Ten?