SEC and Big Ten Throw Support Behind “Protect College Sports Act” Following Last-Minute Negotiations

Negotiations between the SEC and Big Ten over the landmark “Protect College Sports Act” stretched into the final days before the Senate could schedule a floor vote, with late-night discussions involving White House officials, conference leadership, and lawmakers racing to finalize language acceptable to all stakeholders. The compressed timeline reflected genuine urgency, as five months of contentious videoconferences and phone calls had yielded limited progress until recent breakthrough talks.

Senators Ted Cruz of Texas, Maria Cantwell of Washington, and Eric Schmitt of Missouri spearheaded bipartisan efforts to craft legislation that could unite disparate interests across college athletics. “Now progress can now be made in protecting women and Olympic athletes and moving this legislation closer to the President’s desk,” Cantwell said in a statement to OutKick-Fox News.

Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti maintained constant communication with conference officials while conducting parallel conversations with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, speaking with him as many as 10 times on Wednesday alone. The Big Ten convened Thursday at 1 p.m. ET, followed by separate conference calls among the SEC, Big 12, and ACC at 4 p.m. ET that same day.

White House officials confirmed President Trump’s active involvement in the negotiations. “The White House has been following these negotiations closely, and the President has been actively engaged. President Trump wants to save college sports, and he wants the bill done,” a White House official stated Thursday afternoon.

Trump’s College Sports Committee, which includes New York Yankees President Randy Levine and Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell, participated in strategic discussions about next steps toward bringing the measure to the Senate floor. On Friday, the White House reaffirmed its commitment to the effort.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s statement expressing skepticism about securing floor time before the August recess effectively catalyzed renewed urgency among key stakeholders. The deadline for filing cloture became Monday or Tuesday morning at latest if a vote was to occur before Congress recessed at week’s end.

Central sticking points included closing loopholes in Name, Image and Likeness dealings involving multimedia rights companies and establishing retention caps that would provide additional athletic department funding under the House settlement framework. One Power-4 university president acknowledged the complexity of balancing athletics’ revenue importance against broader institutional responsibilities.

Following Friday evening negotiations, both the SEC and Big Ten signaled willingness to formally endorse the legislation, a development that appeared unlikely just days prior. The breakthrough positioned the measure to advance toward a Senate vote, though momentum would likely dissipate if action delayed until the September return.