Schmitt pushes to regulate college sports "arms race"
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Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) is leading a bipartisan charge to federally regulate new money that's pouring into college sports.
Why it matters: Years of loosening the rules around student-athlete compensation have created an "unsustainable arms race," Schmitt says, creating unfair advantages for schools with the most money.
The big picture: The Protect College Sports Act would establish protections for name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation, limits on school-student revenue sharing, and rules for transfers, eligibility and recruitment.
- The bill has the support of 370 schools as of August, including Kansas State University and the University of Missouri.
- Schmitt co-sponsored the bill, which received President Trump's endorsement in August.
Follow the money: The competition over compensation is as fierce off the field as it is on game day, and schools have already adapted their athletic departments to tackle the new financial landscape.
- The University of Kansas and K-State have both added positions to manage how athletes get paid as a way to recruit and retain students.
- Mizzou's corporate sponsorships have grown more than 130% in three years, adding money to the NIL pot.
What's inside: The bill also creates a fund to retain women's and Olympic sports up to $27.5 million, including $5 million for NIL.
- That could help flag football, which is gaining traction in college and will be featured for the first time in the 2028 Olympics.
What's next: The Senate is slated to vote this month, ESPN reports.