Home / Sports / Senate Nears Vote on Radical College Sports Bill
Senate Nears Vote on Radical College Sports Bill
16 Sep
Summary
- Bill proposes revenue sharing up to 22% for athletes.
- NCAA gains lawsuit protection, especially on eligibility.
- Athletes generally limited to one penalty-free transfer.
The Senate has taken a significant step toward enacting The Protect College Sports Act, a comprehensive bill targeting the multibillion-dollar college sports industry. This legislation proposes to codify revenue sharing, permitting schools to share up to 22% of specific revenues with athletes, amounting to an estimated $21.58 million per institution this year. Additionally, a "retention pool" of $27.5 million is included to retain current players.
The bill also seeks to provide the NCAA with crucial protection against lawsuits, particularly concerning player eligibility disputes that have led to numerous legal challenges. This comes as players who graduated high school in 2022 face new eligibility rules. Furthermore, the proposed law aims to preempt conflicting state regulations on name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights.
Athletes would generally be restricted to a single transfer without penalty under the proposed "one-transfer rule," intended to reduce transfers from the portal. The legislation also includes the "Lane Kiffin rule," prohibiting coaches from leaving their current teams during the season. It would allow conferences to pool media rights, potentially increasing revenue, and requires most schools to maintain their Olympic sports programs for at least nine years.
Additional measures include providing federal funding for broadband and media infrastructure at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and prohibiting conferences from expanding beyond 19 teams, preventing the formation of a "superleague."
