The Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten Conference announced Tuesday they will not support the Protect College Sports Act in its current form [1].
This joint opposition from two of the most powerful conferences in the U.S. creates a significant hurdle for the bipartisan legislation. Their refusal to back the bill suggests a deep divide between collegiate athletic leadership and lawmakers regarding the future of athlete compensation and movement.
The statement was released June 2, 2026 [2], just before a scheduled congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. [1]. The two conferences [1] said the legislation contains problems that could undermine a sustainable national framework for college athletics.
In a joint statement, the SEC and Big Ten said, "We have critical issues with the Protect College Sports Act in its current form" [1]. The conferences expressed a desire for a system that includes an effective transfer portal, but they said the current bill fails to meet those needs [3].
The legislation was introduced last week by members of the Senate [4]. It aims to establish a federal standard for college sports, but the conferences said the current provisions regarding the transfer portal and other regulatory measures are flawed [1].
Because these two conferences control a vast portion of the revenue and talent in collegiate sports, their lack of alignment with the bill may prompt lawmakers to revise the text. The conferences said they support a sustainable national framework for college sports, one that ensures long-term stability for the institutions and the athletes involved [3].
“"We have critical issues with the Protect College Sports Act in its current form,"”
The opposition from the SEC and Big Ten signals that any federal attempt to regulate Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) or the transfer portal will face intense resistance unless it aligns with the financial and operational interests of the most powerful athletic programs. This tension suggests that the 'Protect College Sports Act' may require significant amendments to gain the industry buy-in necessary for effective implementation.
