NCAA chief urges swift Senate support for stalled Protect College Sports Act

As Congress prepares for its August recess, the Protect College Sports Act remains stalled, leaving its Senate floor vote in doubt. The bill, backed by Senators Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell, Chris Coons and Eric Schmitt, has been revised after talks with leaders from the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12, who gathered Thursday to review the changes. NCAA president Charlie Baker issued a statement urging both college-sports officials and senators to endorse the measure now, emphasizing its potential to deliver academic, health and wellness gains for athletes while curbing unchecked agents and stabilizing transfer and revenue rules.

However, the Big Ten and SEC are still demanding autonomy over broadcast media rights, adjustments to inducements for high-school athletes, and flexibility for future expansion, causing the floor vote to be uncertain. If no vote occurs by Aug. 7, the Senate will not reconvene on the issue until Sept. 14, pushing the bill’s timeline further out.