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New York Yankees President Randy Levine is urging the House to pass the Protect College Sports Act, warning that college athletics could face deeper financial trouble without federal action. But critics of the bill say it will not do enough to protect student-athletes.
In an interview with CNBC's Michael Ozanian, Levine said the bill would create a $22 million pool for schools to retain their own players, along with an additional $5 million for women's and non-revenue sports. He said the House should act after the measure passed the Senate with 77 votes.
President Donald Trump appointed Levine as a vice-chair of a commission in February to explore college sports reforms. The Roundtable on Fixing College Sports was set up to bring more order to college sports as the rise of name, image and likeness deals and the transfer portal have dramatically changed the college sports landscape.
"If this bill isn't passed, there will never be a bill that's passed," Levine said, warning that the Big Ten and SEC could form a "super conference" that operates like a minor league.
Levine said features of the bill will also help level the playing field, provide health care and scholarship protection and help women's and non-revenue sports.
Opponents argue that the bill would deny college athletes certain rights and protections and would give more money to the NCAA, conferences, and schools to "consolidate money and power."
"The so-called Protect College Sports Act does little to actually protect the student-athletes who make this multi-billion-dollar industry possible," Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said in a statement in September.
Levine also addressed the looming labor negotiations in Major League Baseball, where he serves on the league's labor committee.
The current collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1 and both sides appear to be preparing for the possibility of a work stoppage.
Asked whether there would be a 2027 season, he said, "I don't know whether they'll reach an agreement or not," citing "fundamental differences in opinion."
Levine said it's early and that these deals don't usually get done until the very end.
"I'm very confident that the sides will give it all they got to negotiate in good faith to get something done," he said.