Sport: College Sports Category: Transactions

SEC's Greg Sankey expresses concerns over proposed college sports legislation

Yahoo Sports • 2 min read • Latest: Jun 13, 2026, 1:28 PM

Last updated Jun 13, 2026

SEC's Greg Sankey expresses concerns over proposed college sports legislation

Summary

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has raised concerns about a new Senate bill aimed at reforming college sports. In a letter to SEC presidents and chancellors, Sankey highlighted potential legal issues stemming from the bill, particularly regarding athletes' ability to file lawsuits. He and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti discussed around two dozen necessary changes to the legislation during a videoconference with Sen. Ted Cruz, one of the bill's sponsors. While the SEC and Big Ten have not endorsed the bill in its current form, they believe revisions could secure needed accountability in college athletics. The legislation requires bipartisan support to progress in the Senate.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

Key Details

•Sankey sent a letter detailing concerns about legal liabilities in the bill.
•The proposed bill allows athletes to file civil lawsuits under specific conditions.
•Sankey highlighted issues regarding preemption of state laws related to college sports.
•SEC and Big Ten are open to supporting the bill with targeted revisions.
•The Senate bill needs 60 votes for passage, requiring bipartisan cooperation.

Latest Updates

1:28 PMYahoo Sports — Outlining concerns, SEC's Sankey worries Senate bill could produce more lawsuits, not fewer

What they're saying

"
One of Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey's concerns with a recently introduced Senate bill designed to fix college sports is that it could increase the likelihood of the very type of litigation the measure proposes to reduce. Sankey sent a letter to SEC presidents and chancellors last week, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, that outlined about two dozen fixes that he and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti discussed in a June 4 videoconference with one of the bill's sponsors, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Among the concerns Sankey expressed was about the “unintended legal exposure” that could come in a section of the bill that allows athletes to file civil lawsuits in certain cases — a right that many Democrats have sought to protect.
— Yahoo Sportsby EDDIE PELLS

Related Teams & Leagues

College Sports

Sources

External links

Yahoo SportsJun 13, 2026, 1:28 PM
Outlining concerns, SEC's Sankey worries Senate bill could produce more lawsuits, not fewer
One of Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey's concerns with a recently introduced Senate bill designed to fix college sports is that it could increase the likelihood of the very type of litigation the measure proposes to reduce. Sankey sent a letter to SEC presidents and chancellors last week, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, that outlined about two dozen fixes that he and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti discussed in a June 4 videoconference with one of the bill's sponsors, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Among the concerns Sankey expressed was about the “unintended legal exposure” that could come in a section of the bill that allows athletes to file civil lawsuits in certain cases — a right that many Democrats have sought to protect.

Original reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.

Sources

Related Stories