Alabama, Auburn Issue Joint Statement Opposing Bipartisan College Sports Bill

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The University of Alabama and Auburn University issued a joint statement Monday opposing the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, while urging the U.S. Senate not to advance the legislation unless significant changes are made.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

Subscribe

The statement, signed by the presidents of both universities and the presidents pro tempore of their respective boards of trustees, argues the bill would create more uncertainty in college athletics rather than provide the stability supporters have promised.

The legislation cleared the Senate Commerce Committee on a 19-9 bipartisan vote last month and is designed to establish a national framework for college athletics.

This also comes after former Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and other college sports figures testified before the committee in June in support of the legislation.

“If you had the biggest, baddest Ferrari that you could ever have and it was going 150 miles an hour toward the Grand Canyon, somebody needs to tap the brakes. And I think that’s what we all need to do here,” Saban said in his opening remarks to the committee on June 3.

Among its provisions are regulations governing name, image and likeness (NIL) payments, limits on athlete transfers, restrictions on midseason coaching changes and expanded health and athlete protections.

The proposed legislation also would create a federal standard intended to replace the current patchwork of state NIL laws.

However, Alabama and Auburn insist the proposal would undermine the implementation of the landmark House settlement that reshaped college athletics, while also creating new legal challenges.

The joint statement argues the bill would:

• Undermine enforcement of rules established under the House settlement by narrowing disclosure and enforcement tools.
• Invite additional litigation by failing to provide broad enough antitrust protections and federal preemption of state laws.
• Expand the federal government's role in college athletics by allowing oversight of roster decisions, scheduling and internal governance.
• Encourage private equity interests to pressure schools into pooling media rights revenue in ways that "punish success rather than rewarding it."

The universities said they support Congress' efforts to address the rapidly changing landscape of college sports and share the goals of protecting student-athletes, sustaining women's and Olympic sports, and establishing consistent national rules.

Still, both institutions argued the current legislation "does not meet that standard."

"In its current form, it solves little of what genuinely challenges college athletics and leaves the central questions to the courts, inviting the very litigation it claims to prevent," the statement says.

The position held by the two universities also aligns with concerns previously raised by the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten Conference, which jointly stated before the Senate committee vote that the bill requires additional revisions before they could support it.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has argued the legislation could expose schools to additional lawsuits, while both conferences have objected to provisions involving media-rights revenue.

The statement concludes by pledging that Alabama and Auburn are prepared to work with Alabama's congressional delegation and lawmakers from both parties "on a durable solution that protects student-athletes and preserves the ability of universities to compete and operate responsibly."

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.