U.S. Senate adjourns without scheduling a vote on Protect College Sports Act, per report
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The United States Senate adjourned on Thursday for the rest of the week and still no vote was scheduled for the sweeping Protect College Sports Act, according to a report by ESPN’s Dan Murphy and Pete Thamel.
According to the report, this also means that the bill is “increasingly unlikely” to move forward this summer “despite a flurry of negotiations in the past week to try to revive it.”
Administrators representing the SEC and Big Ten held separate meetings on Thursday to discuss whether or not they wanted to support the latest version of the bill, according to Thursday’s ESPN report. The Senate bill was drawn up to reshape college sports as we know it, but neither the SEC or Big Ten voted on it, according to the report that had sources with knowledge of those conference meetings.
ESPN also reported that a Senate aide said there was “technically still time” for Senate Majority Leader John Thune to “call the bill for a full vote early next week.” But the odds of that happening now are “growing longer with each passing day,” according to the report. The Senate starts its summer recess on Aug. 7.
NCAA president Charlie Baker released this statement on Thursday afternoon about the importance of the bill:
After speaking with conference leaders and university presidents in recent days, one thing is clear: there is overwhelming consensus that targeted intervention from Congress is necessary. This is the legislation we need now. It will grant student-athletes unprecedented academic, health and wellness benefits, rein in out-of-control agents and stabilize transfer, eligibility and revenue-sharing rules.
While the Protect College Sports Act remains in limbo, there is a national championship to be won this fall on the football field. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about which teams have the best shot to be holding that trophy in January:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
