{"id":1667,"date":"2026-07-28T20:53:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T20:53:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/?p=1667"},"modified":"2026-07-28T20:53:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T20:53:02","slug":"college-nil-bill-includes-25-million-retention-pool-but-is-that-enough-to-sway-big-ten-sec","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/?p=1667","title":{"rendered":"College NIL bill includes $25 million \u2018retention pool\u2019 but is that enough to sway Big Ten, SEC?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo\/Allison Robbert)<\/small><\/p>\n

2026-07-28T20:39:59Z<\/p>\n

A reworked Senate bill designed to regulate college sports proposes to more than double the amount of money schools could share with players as part of a flurry of revisions designed to win the support of the Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences. <\/p>\n

Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti said Tuesday at his conference\u2019s football media days that he was waiting to review the new language in the Protect College Sports Act,<\/a><\/span> and the hope is that the new version of the bill \u201cprovides a lot more help than not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the key changes would be up to $25 million devoted to a \u201cretention\u201d pool that would allow schools to pay athletes already on their rosters to stay. That would be in addition to the $21.3 million schools are allowed to spend this season. Some $5 million of the new money would be devoted to women\u2019s sports.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all very specific language that has to work together with the (House) settlement, so we need to see the language on all of that,\u201d Pettiti said. <\/p>\n

The House settlement,<\/a><\/span> which dictates the terms of revenue sharing, calls for 22% of certain revenues to be shared with the athletes. The retention pool figures to drastically change that math. Also uncertain is how it would impact name, image and likeness compensation from third parties, which allows schools to blow past the cap and many agree is the reason costs of assembling football and basketball rosters are spiraling out of control.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey Kessler, the plaintiffs\u2019 attorney in the House case, told The Associated Press: \u201cI would have to see the specific provisions of the entire bill to evaluate any issues with the settlement.\u201d <\/p>\n

An outline of the changes made to the bill, a copy of which the AP obtained, also included changes the conferences sought over Olympic and women\u2019s sports; avoiding creation of so-called super leagues; and making sure conferences won\u2019t be required to participate in a media rights pooling arrangement the bill would allow. <\/p>\n

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