Senate Bill Aims to Break Up College Sports' TV Empire

A new bill from Senate Democrats, the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement (SAFE) Act, would fundamentally overhaul college sports by allowing conferences to pool media rights for joint negotiation—a privilege long held by pro leagues—and establishing a national standard for athlete protections.

• Ad money, no airtime: The bill follows an aggressive lobbying push from Texas Tech’s billionaire regent, Cody Campbell, who has funded TV ads claiming conference commissioners’ “greed is bankrupting” smaller schools. But Campbell claims networks like Fox and ABC are refusing to air his latest ad, a development first reported by Front Office Sports. ESPN reportedly pushed back, saying Campbell failed to provide supporting documentation for the ad's claims in time.

• Changing the channel: The SAFE Act would not only allow for pooled media rights but also mandate that college football and basketball games be available on free, local broadcast stations. The legislation also proposes the first national framework for athlete protections, including a 10-year scholarship guarantee and five years of post-eligibility medical coverage.

• A political showdown: The measure is a direct challenge to the Republican-backed SCORE Act, which takes a different approach to reform. This sets up a political fight over the future of college athletics’ billion-dollar media ecosystem.

As lawmakers debate the future of college sports media, it’s worth noting that college football viewership is seeing double-digit growth, raising the financial stakes. The legislative field is also getting crowded, with multiple bills now in motion across the House and Senate. For those interested in the policy details, the SAFE Act also includes granular athlete protections like the creation of an agent registry and a cap on fees.