The Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten said they do not support the Protect College Sports Act in its current form, escalating a legislative stalemate over how college athletics should be regulated in the NIL and transfer-portal era. In a joint statement, both conferences said the bill leaves critical issues unresolved, including how it would preempt state laws. Their position arrived less than 24 hours before a scheduled Senate Commerce Committee hearing chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz, with Cantwell as ranking Democrat. The SEC-Big Ten letter effectively signals that the two most powerful conferences are not willing to provide the political momentum that would be needed for passage. The dispute centers on federal-state alignment and on a key provision that would allow conferences to pool media rights—an approach the conferences have long argued would not produce the windfall proponents suggest. In practical terms, the update increases the chance that Congress will continue to struggle to move a comprehensive policy framework for college sports.