Government involvement is rarely something I support. But, when it comes to collegiate sports, it’s time to exhaust all potential options. In the 11th hour, the SEC and Big Ten did the unthinkable, they reached an agreement on something.
The bill includes several provisions lawmakers and college sports leaders view as essential to fixing the sport. NIL regulation, transfer limits and a salary cap are all included as the bill goes in front of the senate.
The Big Ten and SEC released a joint statement on the agreement.
“The Big Ten Conference and Southeastern Conference support the Protect College Sports Act as currently drafted, following detailed and productive negotiations with Senators Cruz, Cantwell and Schmitt and their respective staffs. We appreciate the substantial work that has gone into this effort.”
The biggest part of the deal is in regard to a potential salary cap. The current “cap” sits at $21.3 million. The additional money added to the cap would include $27.5 million for retaining current players. This would be a total cap of $48.8 million. A proposed salary cap may not create a more even playing field. It’s unclear that every program would be able to reach that amount year over year.
At the very least, it would establish a regulated spending figure that puts everyone on the same page. Roster spending has spiraled out of control, with some programs operating with seemingly endless resources while others scramble to keep pace.
The bill needs 60 votes to pass and needs to do so before the Senate begins its summer break next Friday. With all the focus on the financial based inclusions and rule changes, there are several other key pieces that have been extremely well received.
Most notably, the bill would protect women’s and Olympic sports, a major priority for university presidents who want to prevent schools from cutting non-revenue programs. For college football fans, however, the most significant provision may be the transfer rule. The bill would allow athletes to transfer once without penalty.
The agreement has been made and it seems like the government’s involvement may actually have a positive impact. Now, if they can just fix the pot holes on Government Street we’d really be getting somewhere.
