Alabama and Auburn don’t agree on much. They’re supposed to hate each other, that’s the whole point of the Iron Bowl. But the state’s two biggest college football programs just released a joint statement opposing the Protect College Sports Act, and that kind of unity is rare enough to notice.
The bill passed the House in June 2026 and is now in the Senate. It’s supposed to create a federal framework for NIL compensation and the transfer portal, two areas that have been a mess since the NCAA lost control. Plenty of schools have signed on. But Alabama and Auburn? They want it dead.
The joint statement, first reported by Front Office Sports’ Amanda Christovich, lays out four main problems. First, the programs say the bill weakens disclosure and enforcement tools that keep everyone playing by the same rules. Second, they argue it undermines efforts to create national consistency in rulemaking. Third, they claim it would let politicians micromanage rosters and scheduling. And fourth — this is the big one — they say the bill would benefit private equity firms by forcing schools to pool media rights revenue in a way that punishes success.
That last point matters. Alabama and Auburn generate a lot of TV money. They don’t want to split it with Vanderbilt or Mississippi State just because a private equity firm sees an opportunity. The statement calls it a system that punishes success rather than rewarding it.
Both schools made it clear they’re not opposed to federal involvement entirely. They just don’t like this version. The statement says they’re ready to work with Congress on a durable solution, but this bill isn’t it. They argue it leaves central questions to the courts and invites the exact litigation it claims to prevent.
It’s not every day you see these two programs on the same side of anything. That alone says something about how serious they think this is. The bill was sent to the full Senate for consideration, and with Alabama and Auburn publicly opposed, it’s got a tougher road ahead than it might have had a week ago.
For now, the Senate hasn’t scheduled a vote. But the lobbying has clearly started.
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