Protect College Sports Act fails to reach Senate vote after all-night session with decision pushed back

The Protect College Sports Act failed to reach a vote during an all-night, pre-recess session in the Senate that ended early Saturday, though the bill did gain a spot on next month’s calendar after the chamber comes back from its summer break.The measure has been touted as one that would put guardrails around an escalating spending spree in college sports as the industry struggles to adapt to a new model in which teams can pay players.“College sports is something that needs to be fixed, they have a good solution,” said Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.“We got it teed up for next month.”The bill has been on a roller coaster since it was introduced in late May but quickly failed to gain support of the two biggest conferences: the Big Ten and SEC.Those conferences signed on and saved it from near death late last month after a flurry of negotiations.

But as quickly as it was revived, it faced a reality check in the Senate, where lawmakers from SEC states, including Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., were among its biggest skeptics.Then, as the bill neared closer to a vote, the Congressional Black Caucus and AFL-CIO also came out against it.Amendments dealing with issues that were never part of the bill also started coming up.All that, combined with a packed list of votes including on a short-term funding bill and the narrow confirmation of Todd Blanche for Attorney General, pushed the PCSA toward the back of the Senate’s agenda.Bill co-sponsor Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said “my colleagues and I have worked hard to end the chaos” that surrounds college sports and predicted the bill would receive support of 60 or more Senators to keep it on path to becoming law.Co-sponsor, Sen.

Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said she was grateful Thune put it on the calendar.“This bipartisan bill is how we protect women’s and Olympic sports,” she said.“I look forward to its passage in September.”If it passes the Senate, the bill still figures to face a stee...