Protect College Sports Act faces opposition from Big Ten and SEC

The Senate Committee approved the Protect College Sports Act, a bill that would prohibit conference mergers and acquisitions for leagues earning more than $700 million in revenue, effectively freezing the current Power Five membership. Lawmakers added an amendment to lock in the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC, raising concerns among schools such as Washington State and Oregon State.

The Big Ten and SEC have voiced strong objections, fearing the legislation could drive them to consider a breakaway or "super league" arrangement. Senator Maria Cantwell acknowledged the economic stakes and urged the conferences to seek a revenue‑sharing future rather than a “king‑of‑the‑hill” approach. Sports‑law expert Michael LeRoy highlighted the revenue disparity, noting the Big Ten pays $79.9 million per school and the SEC $72 million, far more than the ACC or Big 12.

Supporters, including billionaire booster Cody Campbell and Yankees president Randy Levine, argue the bill is the best chance to address the broken college‑sports system and explicitly bans any super‑league formation or antitrust exemptions. The measure still requires 60 Senate votes and House approval before becoming law.