SEC, Big Ten Withhold Support For Protect College Sports Act

The SEC and Big Ten have withheld support from the landmark bipartisan college sports bill introduced by Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell last week.

After getting backing from the ACC and Big 12 earlier this week, the Protect College Sports Act has drawn criticism from the NCAA’s two other Power conferences, at least as currently written, saying “the bill leaves critical issues unresolved” in a statement on Tuesday.

The SEC and Big Ten specifically pointed to the bill’s failure to “meaningfully preempt the patchwork of state laws or provide the protections needed to make and enforce consistent rules.”

Cruz and Cantwell told the Associated Press in an interview last week that “the bill is drafted to preempt state laws that conflict with the provisions in this bill.”

The Protect College Sports Act would establish national standards for athlete transfers, player eligibility rules, NIL enforcement and revenue sharing.

Key Bill Aspects:

• One penalty-free transfer
• Five-year eligibility model
• Restricting former professionals from competing
• Hard salary cap
• 5% maximum agent fee
• Prohibits the creation of a super league
• Prohibits coaches from leaving their team before the season ends

It would also provide the NCAA with limited antitrust protection, shielding it from constant legal challenges over eligibility and transfer disputes.

The SEC and Big Ten, however, believe there are holes in the bill that will lead to more litigation, not less, the way it’s written.

There’s also the sticking point of media rights revenue, as the bill encourages conferences to negotiate TV rights collectively and distribute money if the majority of programs agree. While this may be beneficial for smaller conferences, the SEC and Big Ten are the two biggest conferences in the country and wouldn’t have much incentive to share revenue with others. This issue was not addressed in the statement, however.

Joint statement on the Protect College Sports Act: pic.twitter.com/0sRlWCSvGY

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) June 2, 2026

Full Statement:

“The Big Ten Conference and the Southeastern Conference support a sustainable national framework for college sports – one with an effective transfer portal, clear eligibility standards, and protections and benefits for student-athletes. While we appreciate the leadership of Senators Cruz and Cantwell in pursuing these shared goals, we do not support the Protect College Sports Act as drafted.

“The bill leaves critical issues unresolved. It does not meaningfully preempt the patchwork of state laws or provide the protections needed to make and enforce consistent rules, both essential to long-term stability in college athletics. It also shifts ongoing rulemaking to Congress, limiting the ability to adapt quickly as the landscape evolves. Rather than reducing litigation, the bill likely expands it without offering clear alternatives for dispute resolution. Finally, the bill alters the House settlement revenue sharing framework in a way that may result in fewer student-athletes receiving direct revenue share payments.

“We are committed to working with Senators Cruz and Cantwell and other members of Congress to improve this legislation so that it can provide lasting stability for college athletics.”

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark penned letters to Cruz and Cantwell on Sunday expressing their support for the bill, both thanking the Senators and telling them they look forward to continued collaboration on the matter.

American Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti, and supporters of the “Saving college sports” movement, including several university presidents, also sent letters to lawmakers expressing their support.

A hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, which Yahoo Sports‘ Ross Dellenger has described as “arguably the most significant hearing in the NCAA’s seven-year lobbying effort.”