Every week after introducing the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) convened a high-profile panel Wednesday, June 3, on Capitol Hill to offer testimony to the proposed advantages of the act.
Seven-time college soccer nationwide champion coach Nick Saban, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, University of Utah defensive lineman Lance Holtzclaw, former college president Gordon Gee and Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould are talking on the Senate flooring.
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After introductory remarks from Cruz, who proclaimed “changing the law is the only way to fix the legal chaos that we’re seeing right now,” and with Cantwell including a staggering 106 NCAA sports groups and greater than 1,000 student-athlete roster spots have been eradicated since 2023, the ex-Alabama coach and present ESPN persona Saban opened remarks.
He voiced his assist for the Protect College Sports Act whereas Saban additionally shared direct financial figures from Alabama football.
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“When we had our first collective, (Alabama) had $2.7 million,” he stated. “Then, $7 million $10 million. After I was gone, $17 million and then $24 million.
“Now, you have schools that have close to $40 million rosters. Basically, what’s going to happen is you’ll have football and basketball succeed and club sports for everything else.”
A former NBC government who additionally has a background as an agent for Creative Artists Agency, Bevacqua sounded equal assist and an alarm for an impending “Super League” with out dramatic change and guidelines laws.
“I think there’s going to be two inevitable outcomes: You’re going to have a Super League,” Bevacqua stated. “I don’t think a Super League is good for college football, and certainly don’t think a Super League is good for college sports.
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“Even the strongest universities, the healthiest universities, if you continue to have a failed House Settlement with a cap that’s not realistic and with continued motivation to move into the gray space of third-party NIL, I think we’re going to continue to see like the slide that (Senator Cantwell) put up (of decreased scholarships, roster spots and teams).
“I think that would be an incredibly sad day for this country and an unbelievably sad thing to take away from thousands of young men and women.”
This story shall be up to date.
This article initially appeared on USA TODAY: Nick Saban, Notre Dame AD Congress testimony in support of Protect College Sports Act