SEC Seeks Changes to College Sports Bill While Opposing Media-Rights Pooling Provision

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday that the conference continues to seek changes to the Protect College Sports Act while engaging with congressional leaders. Speaking at SEC media days in Tampa, Florida, Sankey confirmed the league does not support the bill in its current form. The legislation, led by Sens.

Ted Cruz of Texas and Maria Cantwell of Washington, aims to reshape college sports governance. Sankey said the SEC has proposed 10 commonsense suggestions focused on four principles: enforceable national standards, limits on state laws that bypass rules, transparency and accountability, and fair standards that preserve voluntary decision-making.

Sankey stopped short of stating whether every suggested change must be adopted for the SEC to back the bill.

He described the talks as ongoing engagement and expressed appreciation for the involvement of Sens. Campbell and Cruz along with their staffs. The SEC firmly opposes a section of the bill that would permit conferences to pool media rights.

Both the SEC and the Big Ten have requested modifications to gain support for passage. Sankey acknowledged real conversations within the conference about whether the SEC should break away from the current structure, an idea first raised earlier this year by Georgia president Jere Morehead. He called those discussions honest communication rather than leverage tactics.

Sankey also said the SEC still lacks clarity on a proposed expansion of the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, including questions about media interest in a larger field. The SEC remains the only Power 4 conference that has not endorsed the 24-team format.