The Protect College Sports Act is a really hot topic, and almost everybody seems to have an opinion. Its goal is to create a uniform national standard for college athletics, stabilizing rules around Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, transfers, and revenue sharing.
The bill passed the U.S. Senate about a month ago, in a 77–22 bipartisan vote, and it awaits action in the House of Representatives, when the chamber reconvenes in a couple weeks.
So that’s what it is, but who is this really good for?
Right now, we’re really only hearing from coaches, athletic directors and U.S. politicians, at the Federal level on this debate.
We almost never hear the athletes’ perspectives on this topic, and one has to wonder if they will even be included in the process of helping to decide future regulations.
To take a true look at the PCSA, you have to blow past the Nick Saban commercials, or the Ted Cruz appearances on gameday, or the Deion Sanders endorsements.
Here and there, the truth is getting out there, thanks to a few sensical and brave voices.
“The Right Time with Bomani Jones is a must listen, every single day, kind of podcast. As Bo often likes to point out, “when has private equity ever made anything better?”
That’s more a truism for anything and everything in life, although not as much specific to this bill.
As Jones has often pointed out, the PCSA does nothing to cap coaches’ salaries, and at the end of the day, its goal is to try and revert college sports, at least in some ways, back to the way it used to be.
Jones also pointed out that we’re not hearing from the actual athletes themselves on this issue. While there are athletes who want to speak out about the situation, their voices are not being elevated enough.
However, the media member who really nailed it, who described the Protect College Sports Act exactly at is, exposing its true agenda, is Chris Simms.
Excuse me, Mr. Simms, I was not aware of your game sir. I did not know that you can bring the fire like this.
As Simms pointed out, college sports does not need to be “saved,” as they’re making more money than ever before, and attracting higher ratings than ever before.
Simms is right, it’s not truly a Protect College Sports Act, it’s the Protect ESPN and Their SEC Television Contract Act.
He is also right to point out how stupid this is that our federal level politicians are involved in this, when they have so many more important things to do right now.
Maryland Terrapins star Oluchi Okananwa is one of the top players in women’s college basketball and a top WNBA Draft prospect.
She is also the Interim President of the United College Athletics Association.
At Big Ten Media Days, we talked with her about the Protect College Sports Act, and the athletes perspective on it. We asked her if we’re going to hear more from the athletes on the bill.
“No question, because we’re not going to stop,” Okananwa responded.
“And it’s one of those things where you’ve already heard a little bit. I feel like the media coverage surrounding our voice has definitely increased, and I only see it getting more and more vocal and more and more out there.
“And most importantly, the more student athletes gain knowledge on what’s going on, that’s something that I sound like a broken record saying, the more that happens, it’s just going to get bigger and bigger.
“It’s going to be a snowball effect.”
We then asked what do people need to learn about this legislation that they might not already know.
“It’s one of those uncomfortable conversations,” she answered.
“But it’s a big reason why we’re for coming up with the collective bargaining agreements, so that then we can have those protections set in place, and on paper.
“Right now, it’s a lot of trusting of the word of the program, of the head coaches, and I mean that’s within everyone’s own journey about who they feel best fits them.
“But I don’t think it’s ridiculous that a student-athlete, just looking at the landscape of the game and how it’s changing, to now want a written agreement saying this is what’s acceptable, this is what’s not.”
Okananwa is spot on; all around. The people who want the PCSA to succeed are basically the people who are at the top of the system, and want to keep making sure that the biggest pieces of the pie keep going to them.
They have no regard at all for the people who really make the system even work in the first place.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.