WASHINGTON — A sponsor of the Protect College Sports Act told sports editors Friday that the legislation likely has the support to move through the Senate, setting up a high-stakes fortnight of negotiations that could reshape how colleges manage name, image and likeness payments and media rights.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., told attendees at the Associated Press Sports Editors meeting that "
We probably have 60 votes," a count that, if accurate, would give the bill a clear path forward in the 100-member chamber. The bill, introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., seeks to provide limited liability protections for the NCAA and conferences and to create federal clarity over the patchwork of state NIL laws.
Negotiations with the conferences
Schmitt described the next two weeks as critical. Leaders from the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten — each publicly opposed to the bill in its current form — have met with Cruz and Cantwell to try to craft changes that could win their backing. The discussions center on elements conference officials say could unintentionally increase litigation or undermine existing structures.
- Liability protections: The bill would limit legal exposure for the NCAA and conferences.
- Federal preemption: It aims to override conflicting state NIL laws to create a uniform standard.
- Conference media pooling: The measure allows conferences the option to pool media rights — a provision proponents say could raise billions but that the SEC and Big Ten oppose.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, in a letter to university presidents last month, warned that a provision allowing certain civil lawsuits by athletes might produce more litigation rather than less, and suggested a rewrite of that section. The SEC and Big Ten worry that specific language in the bill could create new problems even as it seeks to solve others.
What’s at stake
Supporters argue the bill would bring order to a system upended when a federal court cleared broad NIL payments to players last year. Schmitt warned of a bleak alternative if Congress fails to act, saying without legislation "the trajectory of this in three years will be even further unrecognizable," and predicting potential strains that could imperil some women's programs.
| Key sponsors | Noted opponents |
|---|---|
| Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) | SEC, Big Ten |
Even if the Senate clears the bill, passage in the House is not assured. Lawmakers in the narrowly divided chamber have raised objections to other proposals addressing NIL and college sports governance; a competing measure, the SCORE Act, failed to reach a floor vote amid bipartisan concerns.
The coming days will test whether bipartisan sponsors can bridge conference objections and draft language that satisfies university leaders, conference officials and members of both parties — or whether persistent divisions will keep Congress from imposing national rules on a sector facing deep financial and legal uncertainty.
