Protect College Sports Act headed to Senate for full vote - ESPN

A wide-sweeping federal bill to reshape college sports is headed to the Senate floor, marking the first time during a yearslong effort that the full U.S. Senate will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed solution to some of the issues facing the college sports industry.

The Protect College Sports Act, spearheaded by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash), would provide the NCAA with an antitrust exemption so that it could enforce a cap on payments to athletes as well as rules related to eligibility and transfers in college sports. It also creates an opportunity for schools to sell their media rights as one large entity rather than on a conference-by-conference basis, which is intended to help fund less profitable sports and close the significant financial gap between most of the college sports and its two biggest conferences, the SEC and Big Ten.

The Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 on Thursday morning to move the bill forward to a full Senate vote. The details of the proposal are still subject to change. Its path to becoming a federal law remains an uphill battle, facing a time crunch ahead of November's elections and opposition on several fronts. Most notably, leaders from the SEC and Big Ten say they oppose the bill as it stands now.

«We continue to believe revisions are needed to secure our support for the bill,» the SEC and Big Ten said Thursday in a joint statement. "… We are encouraged that several Commerce Committee members share our concerns and support these recommendations. We will continue working with stakeholders to ensure [the bill] delivers meaningful protections for student-athletes and lasting stability for college sports."

Cantwell said she and the bill's other authors plan to