WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan bill top lawmakers and athletic leaders have described as the best chance to stabilize college sports has cleared a major hurdle in the Senate. The Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 to advance the bill on Thursday. The Protect College Sports Act would regulate athlete payments, limit players to one unrestricted transfer and stop coaches from changing jobs during a season. The bill has support from several athletic conferences and the NFL, the NFL Players Association and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. But the SEC and the Big Ten have not endorsed it. Support and opposition for the bill crosses party lines.
UNDATED (AP) — The Protect College Sports Act has moved forward with Senate committee approval. However, the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences oppose the bill, seeking revisions. This opposition fuels speculation about a potential split from the NCAA to form a super league. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell emphasizes the need for economic benefits for all. The Big Ten and SEC dominate financially and athletically, raising concerns about parity. Cody Campbell, a Texas Tech regent, dismisses the super league idea as impractical. The bill still requires approval from 60 senators and the House, with legal challenges likely even if it becomes law.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Mike Fox was part of almost every major milestone North Carolina has achieved in baseball either as a player or coach. All that eluded him was a national championship. He retired six years ago as the program’s all-time wins leader, but his attachment to the Tar Heels remains strong as ever. The Tar Heels open the best-of-three College World Series finals against Oklahoma on Saturday. He says a national championship would fulfill a lifetime dream and that if Carolina wins it, somebody might have to grab him to keep him from jumping on the dogpile.
UNDATED (AP) — BYU's AJ Dybantsa has been the long-running favorite to be the No. 1 overall NBA draft pick and headlines the group of forward prospects. Dybantsa led the country in scoring and was a first-team Associated Press all-American. He headlines a position that includes a pair of fellow freshmen in the top tier with Duke's Cameron Boozer and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson. Boozer was AP national player of the year. Wilson was a second-team All-American. They join Kansas guard Darryn Peterson in the clear top tier of overall prospects entering Tuesday's first round.
DENVER (AP) — College football leaders gathered Wednesday to debate the merits of expanding to 24 or 16 playoff teams. They need more time, though, to sort out the details of what could be the most important number — money. Rich Clark, the executive director of the College Football Playoff, said the meetings between commissioners and a few others were “very healthy” but didn’t lead to anything concrete. They will keep studying the impact that expanding the playoff from 12 to 16 or 24 teams could have on venues, the schedule, the future of now-imperiled conference title games. And, of course, how much extra games might go for on the open market. Another meeting is slated for September.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Owen Hull had a triple and two doubles among his four hits, Gavin Gallaher had four hits and four RBIs and North Carolina beat West Virginia 12-7 to advance to the College World Series finals for the first time since 2007. The Tar Heels went 3-0 in bracket play and will play for their first national championship in baseball starting Saturday in the best-of-three finals against Oklahoma or Georgia. West Virginia was 2-2 in its first CWS appearance with both losses to the Tar Heels.
UNDATED (AP) — Kansas' Darryn Peterson headlines the top tier of one-and-done guard prospects for next week's NBA draft. Peterson is considered a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick when the first round begins Tuesday. Peterson is a combo guard who averaged 20.2 points in his lone college season. But the uncertainty about his availability while missing 11 games at Kansas is a variable for NBA teams to evaluate. The list of top guards includes Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr., Illinois' Keaton Wagler, Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr., and Houston's Kingston Flemings. They're all top-10 prospects.
