In a letter to NCAA schools Tuesday, president Charlie Baker detailed “key areas” for amendments to the Protect College Sports Act, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger. He also said he expects a markup in the Senate in the “coming weeks” as part of the process.
Baker stressed the need to expand the scope of the provision about preempting state laws that prohibit enforcement and to further clarify that rev-share does not require approval by the College Sports Commission. He also suggested amending the uniform five-week transfer window and, instead, letting the NCAA make those periods sport-specific.
Advertisement
[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]
Other areas Baker addressed include making any eligibility or transfer suit exclusive to federal courts, rather than letting state courts make rulings. He also suggested an adjustment to protections for women’s and Olympic sports to maintaining the number of sponsored sports teams, rather than maintaining scholarship spots.
Baker also called the bipartisan legislation, filed by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the best opportunity for a bill on college sports. But he said time is of the essence.
“We are running out of time, and this bipartisan bill is the best chance to ensure college sports will continue to thrive for all 550,000 current college athletes and for years to come,” Baker wrote in the letter, via Yahoo! Sports.
Advertisement
Baker previously did not directly voice support for the Protect College Sports Act in his statement after its initial filing. However, on Monday, he said the bill is necessary in the current landscape. Those comments came after a judge granted Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby an injunction that would allow him to play in 2026 after he admitted to gambling on Indiana football games while on the Hoosiers’ roster.
SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter
The Protect College Sports Act has been a major discussion point around college athletics and takes aim at issues such as the transfer portal, coach movement and media rights. The latter point would give schools the option to pool their rights after reaching a 75% threshold.
While the Big 12 and ACC shared their support for the bill, the Big Ten and SEC said they do not support the legislation in its current form. The two conferences held virtual meetings with Cruz and Cantwell on Tuesday as discussions continue about what could lie ahead.
Advertisement
Additionally, another hearing is taking place on Capitol Hill about the bill this week. The first one occurred last week and saw testimony from witnesses such as former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Notre Dame athletics director Pete Bevacqua. Current head football coaches such as Memphis’ Charles Huff and Middle Tennessee State’s Derek Mason are on the invitation list for Wednesday’s hearing.
