Cantwell, Schmitt Join Forces on Draft Bill to Generate More Revenue for College Sports

Legislation opens Sports Broadcasting Act to allow schools to pool media rights, protect scholarships, invest in women's & Olympic sports

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), member of the Committee, released a bipartisan discussion draft of the College Sports Competitive Act that would amend the Sports Broadcasting Act to allow colleges to pool their media rights in broadcast negotiations, which some have estimated would generate more than $9 billion in new revenue for college sports. The Senators expect to work with colleagues and stakeholders to finalize legislation that will grow broadcast revenue and help stabilize schools in the era of NIL.

"With women's sports, Olympic sports, and other sports losing scholarships and roster slots every year, it is time to reverse the damage," said Sen. Cantwell. "Opening the Sports Broadcasting Act to college sports allows more revenue to be generated from sports viewing, and that new revenue can go toward supporting and growing opportunities in women's and Olympic sports while still protecting consumers from being over-charged by having sports events behind pay walls. Fans should not have to pay extra to watch their home teams play on TV."

"Colleges, large and small, have reached a breaking point," said Sen. Schmitt. "The current environment of run-away NIL deals, facility arms races and skyrocketing coaching contracts has put pressure on the entire system. If we don't address the revenue problem, college sports, as we know and love them, will slowly disappear. This is a serious problem, and Congress needs to provide real solutions to help alleviate the pressure being put on schools. Allowing conferences and universities to voluntarily pool and sell their media rights together can unlock new revenue streams while preserving the broad-based athletic programs that make college sports the institution it is today. I'm thankful for President Trump's leadership on this issue, and now it's time for Congress to act to protect women's sports, strengthen our Olympic pipeline, and restore stability to this uniquely American experience. Nobody will get everything they want - but everyone will continue to get to enjoy college sports for generations to come if Congress acts."

College football consistently attracts large national audiences, yet overall media revenues don't match those of comparable sports leagues. This gap suggests there are real opportunities to modernize and optimize media rights deals in ways that grow total revenue. Too often, revenue shortfalls fall hardest on women's and Olympic sports programs, which play a critical role in developing America's Olympic pipeline and providing opportunities for student-athletes across the country. Schools should not be forced to cut these programs to remain competitive in football and basketball.

The discussion draft would allow new revenue to go to three objectives:

1. Ensuring all schools receive more media rights revenue than they received in the 2024-2025 academic year;
2. Giving all schools a percentage of new revenue; and,
3. Allowing performance-based awards for schools that drive viewership revenue and succeed in reaching playoffs.

The legislation allows schools and conferences to voluntarily participate in the pooled media rights program and increases opportunities for student athletes.

The College Sports Competitive Act would:

• Unlock collective media deals to potentially generate billions in new revenue for college sports
• Reward conferences and teams that drive the value up while also ensuring every school receives more revenue
• Create a 14-member board that fairly represents the institutions that generate the most revenue and includes athletes, media experts, and academic institutions
• Protect women's and Olympic sports by ensuring teams and scholarships won't be cut
• Allow out-of-market fans to be able to watch their team anywhere
• Ensure college sports media content cannot be put behind a paywall in local markets

Sen. Cantwell has been deeply involved in the effort to protect athletes. Sen. Cantwell led "Equal Pay for Team USA," which became law on January 5, 2025, and guarantees equal pay and treatment for athletes representing the United States, regardless of gender. In September, Sen. Cantwell, joined by co-sponsors Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), introduced the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement (SAFE) Act to codify athletes' rights and protections in law, expand revenue for all schools, support women's and Olympic sports and bring much-needed stability to the college sports system.

In December, she introduced the Helping Undergraduate Students Thrive with Long-Term Earnings (HUSTLE Act) with Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) so that college athletes earning NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) money can protect more of it for their post-playing lives. In October, Sen. Cantwell joined former college and professional athletes and Sens. Booker and Blumenthal in warning that the SCORE Act would roll-back hard fought NIL rights and health protections, leave athletes vulnerable to unscrupulous agents, short-change women's and Olympic sports and shut the door on collective bargaining rights.

In September, Sen. Cantwell released a report showing how skyrocketing media rights payments have exacerbated a massive financial gap between traditional power conferences, especially the new Power 2-the SEC and Big Ten-and everyone else. In August, she wrote to the presidents and chancellors of more than 350 Division I universities and their governing bodies, warning about the dangers that the SCORE Act poses to the future of college athletics. And on July 14, Sen. Cantwell and Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05) sent a letter strongly opposing the SCORE Act.

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