After meeting with Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) about the Protect College Sports Act, the Big Ten released a statement. Maryland president Darryll Pines, the chair of the Big Ten council of presidents and chancellors, said discussions will continue.
Following the bill’s introduction last month, the Big Ten and SEC said they did not support the bill in its current state. The Big 12 and ACC, however, said they were in favor of the legislation. The SEC’s presidents and chancellors also met with Cruz and Cantwell Tuesday, releasing their own statement afterward.
Pines said the Big Ten and its schools will continue to work with Cruz and Cantwell on reforming the legislation. “Constructive” dialogue also took place during Tuesday’s meeting.
“The presidents and chancellors of the Big Ten Conference were pleased to meet with Senators Cruz and Cantwell to discuss their bill,” the statement read. “We sincerely appreciate the work they and their staffs have done and believe the dialogue was constructive. As a conference of 18 world-class institutions committed to academic and athletic excellence, we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with Senators Cruz and Cantwell and other members of Congress to achieve the shared goal of long-term stability for college athletics.”
The Big Ten and SEC each had a roughly 30-minute call with Cruz and Cantwell, as well as Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) on Tuesday, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger. During the discussions, the two leagues said there were parts of the bill they support, including the provisions about agents, and are hoping for it to pass by Dec. 1 before the football transfer portal window opens.
The two conferences are also working to submit revisions to the bill, Dellenger reported. Lawmakers also told the conferences that the Protect College Sports Act is the last hope for a bipartisan bill in this Congress.
The Protect College Sports Act takes aim at the transfer portal, coach movement and media rights, among other issues. Media rights have been a major point of discussion because of the provision giving schools the option to pool their rights once they reach a 75% threshold.
The 111-page bill also has a provision that aims to prevent a “super league,” which Cruz has said the Big Ten and SEC want to form. However, commissioners Tony Petitti and Greg Sankey, respectively, have made clear that no such discussions have taken place.
