Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) celebrated the passage of the Protect College Sports Act, touting her amendment on the landmark bill which raised the limit member schools in athletic college conferences.
“I’ve worked hard to improve the Protect College Sports Act,” Sen. Moody wrote on X. “Increasing the conference cap to 20 was important to our Florida universities and their programs, and we got that done.”
Protect College Sports Act
The U.S. Senate recently passed the Protect College Sports Act, receiving bipartisan support in a 77-22 vote.
The bill establishes national rules for college athletes’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreements, transfers and eligibility, revenue sharing, as well as scholarship and medical protections.
The legislation also grants schools, conferences, and intercollegiate athletic associations like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) limited protections from anti-monopoly laws on certain rules.
Sen. Moody's Shift
Originally, Sen. Moody joined Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) against the measure. However, after Senators approved an amendment that raised Power 4 athletic conference membership from 19 to 20, Sen. Moody switched sides and approved the bill.
What Are The Power 4?
The Power Four or the Power Conferences are the most prominent athletic conferences in college football within the U.S. These conferences include the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big Ten Conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and the Big 12 Conference.
FL Schools Concerns Over Membership Caps
A major concern for Florida schools like Florida State University and the University of Miami involved the membership cap.
Recently, both schools have publicly discussed the possibilities of exiting the ACC and switching over to either the Big Ten or SEC.
The Bill's Increased Roadblocks
The bill still creates significant roadblocks and financial risks for programs attempting to switch between major power conferences – a concern that Sen. Scott has previously shared.
“We don’t need federal law that forces schools to lose revenue if they want to change their conference or dictates when schools can change their coaches and where their salaries can come from,” Sen. Scott previously wrote.
