Much ado has been made about the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan bill that aims to create a framework to stabilize NIL in the current landscape of the NCAA.
Though there are plenty of proponents on both sides of the political aisle, there are still many who have taken exception with some of the perceived loopholes in the bill, particularly those which pertain to Title IX.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., attend a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee roundtable on the Protect College Sports Act and collegiate athletics in the Russell Building on June 10, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
A few of those opposed to the bill in its current format include OutKick's very own Riley Gaines and Missouri senator Josh Hawley, both of whom voiced their displeasure on their respective X accounts recently.
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Another Senator from the Show Me State, Eric Schmitt, was on Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich on Thursday, and he made sure to quell any fears of the PCSA preempting Title IX's authority.
When asked by Dakich about Gaines and Sen. Hawley's reservations with regard to the latest bill, Schmitt didn't hold back.
WASHINGTON, DC, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES - 2023/03/03: US Senator Eric Schmitt speaks on the 1st day of CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) Washington, DC conference at Gaylord National Harbor Resort & Convention. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) ((Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images))
"No, I couldn't agree," the Senator said. "I think a further review or a deeper look into the language would show that that's just not true at all. There's specific language in there that protects civil rights laws of states. There's no preemption there. And it specifically says this doesn't change or modify title nine at all."
Sen. Schmitt told Dakich that there's a lot of momentum behind the bill in Washington and they are looking to make a move "as soon as this weekend," presumably to get something done before the Senate's recess.
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The sense of urgency comes not just from the impending recess, but from the fact that NIL and college athletics in general has been out of whack for years now.
"This is a really important bill to kind of calm the chaos that we've got in college sports with unlimited transfers and 27-year-olds competing against 17-year-olds," Sen. Schmitt said.
FILE - U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) arrives to a closed door briefing with senators at the U.S. Capitol on January 7, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
It's worth noting that Sen. Hawley, in addition to a few other Republicans including Senator and former Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville, have filed an amendment Thursday trying to stop the current bill from overriding state women's sports laws.
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Time will tell which GOP Senators will win out, but it's safe to say the battleground that is the PCSA won't be cooling down anytime soon.
Austin Perry is a writer for OutKick.
