No Vote on the Protect College Sports Act in August

Despite the best efforts of its proponents, the Protect College Sports Act failed to gain enough support for a vote before the Senate’s August recess. The bill, also known as the NIL bill, would change multiple aspects of modern collegiate sports. It is expected to be voted on when the Senate returns from recess in September.

What Is the Protect College Sports Act?

The Protect College Sports Act is a Senate bill that is attempting to address multiple perceived issues in college football and other collegiate sports. Its main provisions include:

• Limit athletes to one transfer and five years of eligibility
• Require sports agents to register with states and limit endorsement fees to 5%
• Codify protections for women’s and Olympic sports
• Offer limited antitrust exemptions for conferences
• Codify NIL rights nationally and mandate deal transparency
• Cap revenue sharing

The multi-faceted bill aims to address multiple alleged issues in one sweeping piece of legislation. However, touching on so many areas of collegiate sports has led to the bill being criticized on multiple fronts. Addressing those criticisms is one reason the bill has taken so long to reach a vote.

Who Supports the Protect College Sports Act?

Ted Cruz (R-TX) is the main sponsor of the bill, but the Protect College Sports Act has multiple co-sponsors, such as:

• Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
• Eric Schmitt (R-MO)
• Christopher A. Coons (D-DE)
• Peter Welch (D-VT)
• Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
• John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO)
• Pete Ricketts (R-NE)

Cantwell, Schmitt, and Coons were original co-sponsors of the bill, while Welch, Capito, Hickenlooper, and Ricketts joined later.

In addition to bipartisan support in the Senate, the Protect College Sports Act has garnered support from dozens of athletic organizations. Recently, the two best college football conferences, the Big Ten and the SEC, also agreed to support the bill.

Who Opposes the Protect College Sports Act?

The Protect College Sports Act still has several hurdles before a potential vote in September. Among the bill’s biggest opponents are the Congressional Black Caucus and the AFL-CIO. The delayed vote could give more opponents time to raise new issues with the PCSA.

Why Was the Vote Delayed?

Cruz and other sponsors pushed for the PCSA to be voted on before the Senate’s recess this month. However, they failed to gain enough support ahead of the pre-midterm break for the bill to pass.

Lack of support is not the only reason the vote was delayed. The Senate was focused on confirming the new Attorney General, Todd Blanche, and on passing a spending bill. Even if the bill passes the Senate after the current recess, it will likely face a tough road in the House of Representatives, which will be focused on the upcoming midterm elections.