Trump says soaring college football costs are hitting sports
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday (March 6) said the soaring cost of paying for football at colleges was harming school sports in general and the problem would need to be addressed by legislation, adding he might sign an executive order about it.
Despite “major concessions” developed in deliberations Monday, July 27, into the night of Tuesday, July 28 and Wednesday morning, July 29, the Protect College Sports Act faced “slimmer odds” to advance the bill to a floor vote before August recess.
Congress is in session through Friday, August 7, and then dismisses for several weeks. The next legislative session for the Senate is not scheduled until September 14.
“Major concessions were made overnight,” a Senate Commerce Committee aide, granted anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the ongoing government deliberations, told USA TODAY Sports Wednesday. “With every passing minute, odds are slimmer that we can move the bill before the August recess.”
Added another committee aide who has worked directly on the bill’s framework, “There is a definite feeling that the Big Ten and SEC are continuing to move the goal posts and time is ticking. That’s not a joke. There is a non-zero chance, a small chance, but not a zero-percent chance that (Senate) could go to recess early. The ball is really, really in the SEC and Big Ten’s court. I understand maybe they need to say, ‘Hey, we support this, there’s a few details to work out,’ but otherwise that would be a tough position to plan.”
This setback comes after USA TODAY reported exclusive details of the 12 major concessions — eight of which committee members said were “full” concessions to Big Ten and SEC requests — the Protect College Sports Act co-sponsors had offered to the power conference leagues as the Big Ten opened its annual football media days in Chicago.
The Big Ten and SEC specifically want autonomy over their respective broadcast media rights and modifications to inducements/payments to high school student-athletes, particularly football and basketball, as well as the freedom for potential expansion, in part, in their demands to support the Protect Act.
“I think when I talk to (SEC commissioner) Greg (Sankey) and what they’re trying to do, I think it’s just incredible effort to get this bill right,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said Tuesday. “That’s all about staying together. Getting this bill right is all about staying together in the system we have.
“I think the second path is going to be if we can’t get the bill, can we come up with a system that improves (College Sports Commission, the clearinghouse used by the NCAA for all NIL deals valued at more than $600)? I think all that work is going to be doing it together. Look, if those things don’t happen, I think every league is going to be in the position to say, what are we going to dothat (is) better than what we have now? Do we have to do it ourselves? Again, I think like breakaway is a word that creates a lot of emotion.”
Even the most ardent supporters of the bill, who expressed hope last week even as Sen. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) casted doubt on a floor vote before recess, acknowledged that the continued holdouts of the Big Ten and SEC were shaking that belief.
“We’ve been working night and day to make the revisions they said they needed,” a committee aide told USA TODAY Sports. “And, we need an answer. That wasn’t a superficial deadline. There’s a lot that goes into passing legislation — a lot of work behind the scenes. It just takes time.
“(The) Big Ten and SEC have been in the loop throughout the entire process; they’re familiar with the bill text and changes we’ve discussed.”
Committee members, again pointing to no less than a dozen “significant concessions,” doubled-down on the waffling of the Big Ten and SEC jeopardizing any shot of a floor vote in the next seven days of session.
“There’s just a real sense they (Big Ten, SEC leadership) are moving the goal posts and the ball is in their court, pardon all the sports metaphors. (They need to) Make a decision and make a clear indication, ‘Hey, tweak this or that, but we are in support of this bill. That time (of not return) is rapidly approaching.
“Writing legislation takes time, getting details right takes time. Senator Thune has a schedule he has to look at and members to consider and they’ve got plenty of non-sports related topics to advance forward. [He could say] ‘If I don’t feel there’s a plausible step forward, maybe I should just send my Senators home to their constituents. If I was Thune, I would want to deliver a win the President (Donald Trump) would like, but we have conferences that continue to move the goal post.”