Coach Prime’s support for restrictive federal legislation, sparking a heated debate over whether the football icon unknowingly backed a bill capping athlete earnings.
As lawmakers in the U.S. Senate are set to vote on the Protect College Sports Act next week, some are asking if the coaches and college figureheads who appeared in commercials promoting the legislation actually knew what was in the bill?
One of those who has openly been questioned is Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders. He recently supported in a high-profile political advertisement, which was recently a position he said he wouldn't ever take.
Sanders has been a longtime advocate of player advancement over the years. When he filmed the advertisement, the message came off as a contradiction.
“It gives student-athletes a chance to shine on and off the field," Sanders said in the advertisement.
In reality, the bill caps athlete NIL deals and creates a system similar to the days when players weren't paid. There are several other factors. Now the leaders of college rights groups are speaking out about Sanders' paid endorsement.
Sanders is among several high-profile coaches who believe this is a way to go. The difference with Coach Prime is he probably wouldn't support the bill if he knew how restricted this would be. He has always fought to maximize a better future for the players.
“I wish that Deion would rewind and put himself in the shoes of himself coming out of Florida State,” said Brandon Copeland, executive director of Athletes.org told USA TODAY Sports. “I wonder if he would appreciate his coach advocating for a bill that capped his rights, his earning potential while that same coach was able to have all of those same freedoms themselves.
Sanders' position is a weird one. The commercials show the side of being a spokesperson for the product. But what he's selling is a bad future for his players with nothing equivalent to the deals they have in place right now. Deion made the commercial, but did he actually read the bill? Furthermore, did anyone else stumped for this?
I was asked to do something,” Sanders said at a recent press conference. “I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do... I haven’t thought about it since.”
LlThose who support the bill also say it would help stabilize rising costs. Not a bad idea, but it only caps the pay of athletes, not coaches or administrators, or other rising costs. Also, players would only be allowed a single transfer. This directly targets players and keeps the structure of a non-competitive environment.
The bill does nothing to help players. In fact, some would argue it does just the opposite. A professional athlete is a union member protected by a collective bargaining agreement. None of that would be a reality for the players. If the current structure of college sports is meant to mirror one of a pro-like setup, there should be a similar desire to give the players the best.
The Protect College Sports Act will reach a final vote in the Senate before moving on to the House of Representatives, which won't reconvene until after the mid-term election.
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