Two of college football’s biggest powerhouses are pushing back against the Protect College Sports Act. They’ve raised concerns before, but this time they’re speaking with one voice. In a rare show of unity, the SEC and the Big 10 released a joint statement, stating their demands haven’t been looked into.

“From the outset, we identified a set of essential revisions to the PCSA necessary for the long-term sustainability of college athletics. We have worked with both majority and minority staff to advance those revisions, which focus on better supporting student-athletes and stabilizing the college sports environment… Despite our sustained engagement and good faith efforts, these critical revisions have not been accepted,” the joint statement read.

The Cruz-Cantwell bill is the first major federal effort to reform college athletics. The majority of the conversation surrounding it has focused on a five-year eligibility window, transfer rules, and the codification of NIL rights into law.

However, earlier this month, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey had warned against the media-pooling provision in the bill. As per that provision, schools would be allowed to voluntarily pool and jointly negotiate media rights. For the Big Ten and the SEC, this could lead to lawsuits, as both conferences are tied to long-term broadcasting deals with ESPN, FOX, and CBS.

“The bill leaves critical issues unresolved. It does not meaningfully preempt the patchwork of state laws or provide the protections needed to establish and enforce consistent rules, both of which are essential to long-term stability in college athletics… Rather than reducing litigation, the bill likely expands it without offering clear alternatives for dispute resolution,” Sankey said.

To the disappointment of the Big Ten and the SEC, the bill was cleared by the Senate Commerce Committee with a 19-9 vote without including their proposed amendments. There were some revisions, though. The committee further strengthened the bill’s language regarding non-revenue and Olympic sports. Now, any program with over $80 million annual athletic revenue “will be required to maintain current scholarship and roster levels for women’s and Olympic sports at or above the 2024-25 levels,” according to CBS Sports. 

The bill must pass the Senate hurdle now

While the Big 10 and SEC are still opposing the bill, which would make further adjustments beneficial to the conferences, the bill has now moved out of the committee phase. Now it will go to the full Senate floor for the final vote. According to Senator Ted Cruz, they want the bill passed before the fall season. According to Yahoo Sports, the PCSA will most likely come to the Senate floor in July, where it would require 60 votes.

The opposition from the Big Ten and the SEC hasn’t found favor with other stakeholders in the game. Within college athletics, 20 conferences have supported the PCSA, including the Big 12 and the ACC. Even the NFLPA and NBPA have jumped in with their support.

“The NFLPA and NBAPA jointly drafted a letter to Chairman Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell. The legislation would give the NCAA more control, set rules for TV deals, offer protection from certain lawsuits, and curb conference expansion that concentrates talent and TV revenue,” read a post by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.