RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The Protect College Sports Act moved closer toward a Senate vote this week, but new demands from lawmakers have created another round of uncertainty surrounding the legislation.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., filed cloture on the updated bipartisan bill, beginning the process of moving the legislation toward a potential vote. But with lawmakers nearing the August recess, several senators are pushing for changes that could impact the final negotiations.
Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellinger reports there were still 10 objections to an expedited vote as of Friday afternoon, and that was just among Republican senators. Consent must be unanimous before an accelerated vote can take place.
According to Semafor's Burgess Everett , one of those republicans is Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., who said he is considering an amendment that would cap annual ticket price increases at 4%. Kennedy also wants language clarifying that the legislation would not protect the NCAA from liability, an organization he says, "lacks testicles and a spine."
Thune himself told Fox Sports' Trey Wallace the bill "needs more clarity" before a final vote can take place.
Another setback came on Thursday, when Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., filed an amendment to ensure the legislation does not override state laws governing participation in women's sports.
The amendment would "provide a guarantee that state laws on the books that ban biological men in women's sports are fully protected," according to a release from Hawley's office -- a move that likely dampens support among Democratic lawmakers.
The Congressional Black Caucus also came out against the legislation this week, arguing that athletes and their communities were not sufficiently involved in shaping a bill that could affect the future of college sports.
"At the very moment that Black political representation is under attack across the country, we will not be complicit in efforts to further exclude the interests of Black people by advancing legislation that will determine the economic future of Black athletes, their families, and their communities without their meaningful participation and engagement," CBC Chair Yvette Clarke said in a statement.
The setbacks come days after the bill received a major boost from the Big Ten and SEC, which endorsed the legislation following weeks of negotiations over provisions involving the revenue-sharing cap and associated entities.
The bill's supporters had hoped that agreement would accelerate the bill's path through Congress. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, one of the bill's three authors, told CBS Sports on Monday that he expected the legislation to pass the Senate this week.
The timeline, however, has remained fluid. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., another co-author of the bill, told CBS Sports' Richard Johnson on Thursday that a government funding bill remained ahead of the Protect College Sports Act in the Senate's legislative queue.
"It is when we decide to leave for the August [recess], and so there's a few things that could keep us into next week or potentially longer. It's just really hard to say," Schmitt said. "Friday is not a hard and fast deadline at all."
A lot has changed in the 24 hours since Schmitt's statement. CBS Sports reached out to the Senator to see if his optimism still stands, but those requests have not been returned as of publication.
If the bill fails to get an expedited vote before the congressional recess, it could get a chance when the House and Senate reconvene in September. While some have cast doubt on a potential vote in Congress during a midterm election year, Semafor reports there is optimism that the bill could reach the 60-vote threshold needed to avoid a filibuster in the Senate.
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