A cap on college sports coaching salaries at $5 million annually? That’s the wild amendment just tossed into the Protect College Sports Act, and honestly, it could send shockwaves through the entire system if it actually gains traction. We’re talking about a proposal that would hit any coach signing a new deal on or after the act becomes law, slamming the brakes on the insane money flow we’ve seen in recent years.
The Monster Deals Getting Crushed
Let’s be real, coaching salaries have zoomed far past that $5 million figure, with institutions investing massive cash to find a winner. Last season alone, 47 coaches were pulling in $5 million or more. And this season? Fourteen coaches are making $10 million or more! Think about it: Curt Cignetti from Indiana is raking in $13.2 million, Georgia’s Kirby Smart and LSU’s Lane Kiffin are both at $13 million. Those are some serious paychecks, folks. This isn’t just a football thing, either. College basketball has 15 coaches making $5 million or more right now. Can you imagine those guys and their agents facing down a 60 percent pay cut in future contracts? That’s not just a market correction; that’s an earthquake.
This Bill’s Bumpy Road Ahead
Now, before anyone starts celebrating or panicking, here’s the kicker: this specific amendment is considered very unlikely to make it into the final bill. The Protect College Sports Act has already had a long, drawn-out process just to get to this point, with a realistic chance of actually passing in the Senate this week. Slapping an “arbitrary” cap on coach compensation like this would absolutely create dissension, potentially torpedoing the bill’s chances of approval. Our own Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), alongside Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), will definitely want to avoid that kind of drama and keep things moving forward. Plus, any artificial restriction on free-market competition is just begging for antitrust challenges.
The hope is still that the PCSA could formally pass the Senate by the end of this week. After that, it’s off to the House of Representatives, but they’re not expected to even take a vote until after the November midterm elections. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) are the ones pushing this cap, even though they’ve been two of the most vocal critics of the overall bill, which has seen bipartisan support in earlier procedural votes. It’s a classic political chess match, and we’ll be watching to see if this crucial legislation can survive its own internal battles.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply