Greg Sankey, Power Four commissioners react to bipartisan Senate bill on college sports

After Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) announced a bipartisan bill related to college sports, every power conference commissioner – the SEC’s Greg Sankey, Big Ten’s Tony Petitti, ACC’s Jim Phillips and Big 12’s Brett Yormark – released statements. The two senators agreed on the legislation this week after months of negotiations.

The “Protect College Sports Act” takes aim at transfers and coach movement. It notably includes what’s been called the “Lane Kiffin Rule,” which states coaches cannot leave their team before a season ends. The bill also includes the option to pool media rights and create an agent registry that limits fees to 5%.

[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]

While Sankey said on The Paul Finebaum Show he did not want to comment on the bill until he reviews it in full, he thanked Cruz and Cantwell for their work toward bipartisan legislation. He also reaffirmed the conference will read through it before saying any more.

“We appreciate the efforts of Senators Cantwell and Cruz to introduce legislation that seeks solutions for college sports,” Sankey’s statement read. “We will conduct a thorough review of the legislation before forming any conclusions about its merits.

“Bipartisan engagement in Washington on these issues is critical as we work to help shape a sustainable future for college athletics. Protecting the well-being and interests of student-athletes remains a priority as policymakers continue to address the issues that impact their futures.”

One of the important parts of the Protect College Sports Act is the option to pool media rights. According to the bill, a minimum threshold of 75% of the 138 FBS schools must be reached to pool rights. Quick math shows that even if the Big Ten and SEC did not sign off, but the rest of FBS did, that figure would reach 75%.

Sankey and Petitti were the two notable omissions from a letter supporting potential legislation, released May 15. Both commissioners said they wanted to review the legislation before taking a stance about its potential contents. As a result, Petitti’s statement had a similar tone to Sankey’s.

“We would like to thank Senators Cruz and Cantwell and their staffs for their efforts and interest in returning stability to college sports,” Petitti’s statement read. “We are reviewing the bill and working through all of its provisions. We are committed to a future that best serves our student-athletes and will continue to work with our colleagues and members of Congress as this process moves forward.”

Jim Phillips, Brett Yormark react to Senate bill

During the ACC’s spring meetings last week, Jim Phillips addressed the potential bipartisan bill in the Senate. He told reporters the league was “cautiously optimistic” as talks progressed.

Phillips’ comments came after the SCORE Act was once again pulled from the House floor, dealing the bill another blow in the other chamber. Following Wednesday’s announcement, he said the Senate bill created “positive momentum” in the years-long quest for federal help.

SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter

“We appreciate Senator Cruz and Senator Cantwell working together in a bipartisan manner to sponsor the Protect College Sports Act,” Phillips’ statement read. “We look forward to reviewing the proposed legislation and working collaboratively with our elected officials, constituents and most importantly our student-athletes, to provide stability to college athletics.

“The ACC will remain active in our efforts to preserve the athletic and academic opportunities for the next generation of student-athletes and build on today’s positive momentum.”

Brett Yormark, like Phillips, was among those to voice support for the potential legislation in the letter released earlier this month. The Senate bill is also likely to be a topic at the Big 12’s spring meetings this week in Frisco, Texas, and Yormark said the league is ready to give feedback, as well.

“On behalf of the Big 12 Conference, we thank chairman Ted Cruz and ranking member Maria Cantwell for their leadership and efforts to address the challenges facing college athletics,” Yormark’s statement read. “We look forward to reviewing the legislation and providing constructive feedback as part of the process, and remain committed to empowering student athletes while helping build a sustainable future for college sports.”