Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould: Protect College Sports Act process is ‘bringing folks together’
· Yahoo Sports
Following last month’s markup and committee vote, the Protect College Sports Act has a path toward the Senate floor. The bipartisan bill would take aim at multiple aspects of the college athletics landscape including coach movement, the transfer portal and media rights.
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The Big Ten and SEC have notably spoken against the legislation in its current state, though Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported revisions circulated this week. Others such as the ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and American, however, are in favor of the bill. Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould said she sees the leagues coming together throughout the process.
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Gould said the timeline to pass the bill, as well as the issues it addresses, are reasons she considers the process as a unifying moment. Since there’s only a short window to take action, she sees commissioners putting aside disagreements to support its passage.
“I think in a lot of ways, while there are some issues – not as many as you think – but there are some issues that we don’t agree on,” Gould told John Canzano. “The majority of the elements of the Protect College Sports Act and the majority of the things that we’re trying to find a federal solution for have widespread agreement across our industry. I would say what’s happening, because of the timeline that we’re on and the fact that the clock is kind of ticking in terms of our opportunity and the window to find a federal solution, I think in a lot of ways, it’s bringing folks together. Because we realize that the time is now and that the time to get something done is happening in a matter of weeks and months, not years.
“So I think in a lot of ways, it’s bringing commissioners and colleagues across the industry together to say, ‘Hey, maybe it’s time that we put our differences aside and figure out where we agree on things and what things are the most critical,’ and work together to move those things forward.”
Gould was among those to testify at a hearing about the bill shortly after its introduction. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Notre Dame athletics director Pete Bevacqua, among others, also attended. While speaking before the Senate Commerce Committee, she said the legislation would help “modernize” college athletics.
What’s next for the Protect College Sports Act
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced the Protect College Sports Act in late May. After a markup and vote, the bill is on track for the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) holds the authority to bring the legislation to the floor of the Senate for a full vote.
Should the Protect College Sports Act reach the Senate floor, it would become the first piece of legislation to get that far. The SCORE Actpublicly collapsed in the U.S. House of Representatives in mid-May. That was the third time it failed to reach the House floor.
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In the meantime, the Big Ten and SEC maintained they do not currently support the Protect College Sports Act. Both conferences had calls with Cruz and Cantwell last month to discuss the legislation. Yahoo! Sportsreported negotiations are expected to continue.