After a week of negotiations, the Senate adjourned Thursday without getting any closer to a vote on a college sports bill.
The Big Ten and SEC blew several deadlines imposed by senators on Wednesday and Thursday for a decision on supporting the Trump-backed Protect College Sports Act. Without a clear view from the conferences, Majority Leader John Thune did not file for cloture—the next step in getting the bill to a floor vote next week.
A White House official told FOS on Thursday that Trump “wants the bill done.” But it faces very little chance of reaching a Senate floor vote before the August recess.
It isn’t dead yet: If the conferences get on board over the weekend, Thune could file for cloture Monday, and have a vote later in the week. Otherwise, it’s unlikely the bill passes this year.
For six years, the NCAA and power four conferences have lobbied together in lockstep. But since the PCSA was introduced in May, the organizations have split. While the NCAA, ACC, and Big 12 supported the bill, the Big Ten and SEC came out against it.
