Two of the NCAA’s Power conferences have shown support for the bipartisan college sports bill recently introduced by Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell ahead of a Senate hearing this week.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark penned letters to Cruz and Cantwell on Sunday expressing their appreciation and support for the bill, according to Yahoo Sports‘ Ross Dellenger.
Both thanked the two Senators for their work on the bill and said they looked forward to continued collaboration.
Supportive letters were sent Sunday from the Big 12 and ACC commissioners to Sens. Ted Cruz & Maria Cantwell.
A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday before the Senate Commerce Committee on their bill – arguably the most significant hearing in the NCAA’s 7-year lobbying effort. pic.twitter.com/qNmrmpIlYu
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) June 1, 2026
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 for the bill.
The “Protect College Sports Act of 2026” was introduced by Cruz and Cantwell on Wednesday, a landmark bipartisan bill designed to stabilize college sports at the government level.
The announcement came after the SCORE Act collapsed in Congress on May 18, primarily due to the Congressional Black Caucus’s unanimous opposition to the bill.
Some of the elements of the Protect College Sports Act of 2026 include a one-time transfer rule, five-year eligibility, a hard salary cap, and optional pooling of media rights for schools, among others.
Most importantly for the NCAA, the bill provides the organization with limited antitrust protection regarding player eligibility and transfer rules. This would allow the NCAA to write its own rules while shielding the organization from legal challenges over eligibility and transfer disputes.
A hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, which Dellenger described as “arguably the most significant hearing in the NCAA’s seven-year lobbying effort.”
Dellenger added that Nick Saban, who is serving as a co-chair of President Donald Trump’s Presidential Commission on College Athletics, has been invited to testify at the hearing. Other expected witnesses include former West Virginia and Ohio State president Gordon Gee, Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua and Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould.
Others invited to testify include former West Virginia and Ohio State president Gordon Gee, Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua and Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould, sources tell @YahooSports.
The witness list is expected to be finalized soon. A college athlete is expected as well. https://t.co/fYjsMKHr9y
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) May 30, 2026
Moving forward, the bill will need to gain bipartisan support to pass through the Senate and move to the House of Representatives. There is reportedly pressure to move the bill before the congressional recess in August.
