The two most influential conferences in college sports have agreed to support a Senate bill aimed at regulating the industry, according to ESPN.
The Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference have both signed on to back the legislation, a development that revives the bill's prospects in the Senate after a period of uncertainty. The two conferences collectively represent dozens of programs and billions of dollars in annual revenue, making their backing significant to the bill's political standing.
Details of the bill's specific provisions were not immediately available, but the alignment of the Big Ten and SEC behind a single piece of federal legislation marks a notable moment in the ongoing effort to establish a national framework for college athletics. Congressional attempts to regulate college sports, particularly around issues like name, image, and likeness rules and athlete compensation, have stalled and restarted multiple times in recent years.
The support of both conferences does not guarantee passage, but it removes a major obstacle. Whether the Senate moves the bill forward from here remains to be seen.
