Big Ten and SEC Oppose College Sports Bill, Raising Super League Speculation

The Protect College Sports Act advanced through Senate committee approval on Thursday, but faces significant opposition from the two most powerful conferences in college athletics. The Big Ten and Southeastern Conference (SEC), representing 34 schools across the country, have signaled that "revisions are needed to secure our support" for the legislation designed to stabilize college sports governance. Their opposition has reignited speculation about whether these conferences might break away from the NCAA to form a rival super league.

The financial disparity among conferences fuels the debate. The Big Ten recently distributed $79.9 million per school to its full members, compared to $72 million by the SEC, $45 million by the Atlantic Coast Conference, and $40 million by the Big 12. Additionally, the Big Ten and SEC attracted 83% of five-star athletes and 65% of four-star athletes as of December, according to sports law professor Michael LeRoy of the University of Illinois. This concentration of resources and talent suggests that parity cannot be legislated without creating workarounds, LeRoy argued.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, acknowledged the concerns about conference realignment. "We are interested in them understanding an economic future where there is more revenue for everybody and there is an upside," Cantwell said. "But if the discussion is we just want to hold everybody else back and being king of the hill, I think that's where they'll run into trouble." Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua testified that Congress must act to keep competition costs affordable or risk schools migrating to a super league format.

However, skeptics question whether a super league would actually solve college sports' underlying problems. Billionaire booster Cody Campbell, chairman of the Texas Tech regents, characterized the super league concept as "a complete fantasy" that would fail both legally and practically. He noted that the bill explicitly prohibits super leagues and that such an entity would lack antitrust exemptions while facing the same regulatory challenges currently confronting college sports. Campbell urged the Big Ten and SEC to support the bill despite their objections.

The debate reflects deeper structural tensions in college athletics. David Ridpath, a board member of the Drake Group NCAA watchdog, acknowledged that a super league option has "loomed for decades," though he advocates for sports self-governance and the NCAA focusing on championships like March Madness. The path to legislative approval remains uncertain, with industry leaders like Yankees president Randy Levine calling Thursday's committee action "monumental" while acknowledging substantial hurdles remain.