ACC, Big 12 throw support behind Protect College Sports Act before Senate hearing

The landscape of college sports could be changing in a major way. Momentum is continuing to build behind federal legislation aimed at reshaping the future of college athletics.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, both the ACC and Big 12 formally sent letters of support Sunday to Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Maria Cantwell on Monday. This, ahead of a key Senate Commerce Committee hearing scheduled for Wednesday.

The hearing centers around the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act of 2026. It is a bill many view as the most significant step yet in college athletics’ years-long push for federal intervention.

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Dellenger reported the hearing could become one of the most important moments in the NCAA’s seven-year lobbying effort. Conference leaders are continuing to search for solutions surrounding NIL, the transfer portal and athlete compensation, and this could be it. In a letter to the senators, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips praised the legislation and emphasized the need for congressional action.

“Your comprehensive approach in proposing solutions to the most pressing issues facing college sports is deserving of praise,” Phillips wrote. “Only Congress can provide solutions that truly stabilize a system that changes the lives of so many participants.”

Phillips added that the ACC and its member institutions will continue reviewing the legislation while working alongside lawmakers and stakeholders to strengthen college athletics moving forward. Meanwhile, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark echoed a similar message in his own letter.

“I write to express support for the Protect College Sports Act of 2026 and to commend the bipartisan effort to establish a more consistent national framework for college athletics,” Yormark wrote. “This legislation reflects an important commitment to and a good foundation for greater stability, clearer standards, and meaningful protections for student-athletes.”

The public support arrives days before former Alabama coach Nick Saban is expected to testify before the Senate committee. According to Dellenger, Saban has been invited to serve as a witness during Wednesday’s hearing and he’s the first known participant on what remains a developing witness list.

Saban has become one of the most influential voices in the ongoing debate surrounding college athletics reform. Earlier this year, he participated in discussions with President Donald Trump regarding the future of college sports and has repeatedly stressed the importance of protecting opportunities across all sports, not just football and basketball.

“I really think that the concern is the health of college athletics, not just football,” Saban said during an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show. “If we’re creating a situation where there’s not enough balance between the revenue sports and the non-revenue sports, then people are going to start dropping these sports.”

Moreover, the Protect College Sports Act includes several notable provisions. Among them is the so-called “Lane Kiffin Rule,” which would prohibit schools from hiring head coaches or coordinators away from programs while their seasons are still ongoing. 

The legislation also proposes an agent registry with a five percent fee cap and includes language that could allow conferences to pool media rights under certain circumstances.

Not everyone is fully on board, though. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey recently voiced concerns about the media-rights provisions, suggesting supporters underestimate the challenges involved.

Still, with support now coming publicly from both the ACC and Big 12 and a major Senate hearing just days away, the latest legislation appears to be gaining meaningful traction as college athletics searches for long-term stability.

— On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this article.