Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., sent a letter to Big Ten presidents Friday, warning that a move into private equity could have negative consequences, including impacting the schools' tax-exempt status.
“The primary goal of these companies is to make money for the firm, which is unlikely to align with the academic goals of your university or its obligations as a not-for-profit organization,” Cantwell said.
The Big Ten has been exploring a partnership with private equity firms, with reports saying it could be looking at a $2 billion investment that would involve placing the sale of its media rights and other assets under a new entity partially owned by the equity investors.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti was short on specifics at the conference's basketball media days this week.
“Whether or not we need strategic investment to help us, we’ll determine,” he said. “It will be done by all 18 leaders. I think it’s no different than looking at the other buckets that we have to maximize resources. Just one other avenue that may or may not be available to us.”
Cantwell, the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee whose state has a Big Ten school, said in her letter she had been told that not all regents and trustees in the conference had been fully briefed on the deal.
“It is unclear from my conversations with these regents and trustees whether the athletic-focused Conference has fully considered the potential impact of the deal on your university and its overall educational mission,” she wrote.
Her letter comes a day after the senator spoke at a Knight Commission seminar that looked into the changes occurring in college sports, which earlier this year settled a long-running lawsuit that now allows schools to pay players for their name, image and likeness.
Cantwell spoke in favor of her recently introduced SAFE Act, which proposes rewriting a 1961 law that would make it legal for conferences to pool their TV rights. She was followed at the event by Texas Tech regent chair Cody Campbell, who is a proponent of changes to the law and who blasted the Big Ten idea of looking into private equity.
"The fact that we’re bringing private equity into something that is, in my view, owned by the American public in college sports, is outlandish,” Campbell said.
Campbell estimates pooling of TV rights could bring an additional $7 billion to schools — a figure he did not back with any data and that conference commissioners disagree with.
“I have never stated — publicly or privately — that pooling media rights would increase revenue, nor do I believe that it would,” said the Southeastern Conference's Greg Sankey, whose conference is one of 31 in Division I who support another bill, the SCORE Act, as a way to help college sports.
Among the issues involved in pooling TV rights is that each conference has an assortment of deals with different expiration dates, which would make it hard to sync the deals and bring them under one umbrella.
Petitti acknowledged a private equity move for the Big Ten could create similar challenges.
“If we’re going to do something different, we’re going to respect everything we’ve set up in our current deals,” Petitti said. “There’s nothing being contemplated that would change anything in our current media relationships.”
One Michigan regent, Jordan Acker, recently posted on social media that “selling off Michigan’s precious public university assets would betray our responsibility to students and taxpayers.”
In her letter, Cantwell was blunt in outlining the stakes a private-equity investment could have.
“Your university’s media revenues currently are not taxed because they are considered 'substantially related to' your tax-exempt purpose,” she wrote. “However, when a private, for-profit investor holds a stake in those revenues it raises questions whether the revenue loses its connection to your institution’s educational purpose.”
AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
FILE - Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., speaks during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Capitol Hill, Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
PARIS (AP) — Lens has gone from surprise front runner to serious title contender in Ligue 1.
Despite having modest resources, coach Pierre Sage has done remarkably well to keep his side ahead of defending champion Paris Saint-Germain.
Cash-rich PSG clinched a record-extending 13th league title last season while Lens won its only title in 1998. But Lens pushed PSG close in 2022-23 and finished runner-up by one point.
Lens is one point ahead of PSG this season and eight clear of third-place Marseille going into this weekend's 18th round.
Sage’s side will be confident of a club record-extending 10th straight win in all competitions when it hosts next-to-last Auxerre on Saturday.
Excellent teamwork and a strong defense are hallmarks of Lens which has five clean sheets in the past nine games.
PSG has a tricky home match against fourth-placed Lille on Friday at Parc des Princes, just days after being knocked out of the French Cup at home by capital city rival Paris FC.
Inconsistent Marseille is at mid-table Angers on Saturday and can ill afford to drop any points with Lille level on points.
Erratic Monaco has tumbled to mid-table and needs to bounce back with a home win against Lorient on Friday.
Lyon fans will be hoping to see Brazil forward Endrick in action at home to Brest on Sunday.
Endrick is on loan from Real Madrid until the end of the season and scored on his club debut in the French Cup on Sunday.
After missing 14 games due to a shoulder injury, Marseille forward Amine Gouiri is finding form. He scored twice and provided one assist in a 9-0 French Cup win on Tuesday.
Nantes has earned a reputation for having a strong youth academy and Tylel Tati is the latest product. The 17-year-old central defender looked assured in a 2-0 win at Marseille and looks set to feature at home to Paris FC on Sunday.
Paris FC forward Jonathan Ikoné's neat finish knocked titleholder PSG — his former club — out of the French Cup. Ikoné has yet to score in the league.
Paul Pogba's move to Monaco is not working out as hoped and the former France midfield star remains sidelined by a calf injury.
The 2018 World Cup winner has also dealt with thigh and ankle problems since joining the club in the offseason, after more than two years out of the game in a career derailed by injuries, off-field problems and a doping ban.
Pogba hoped to relaunch his career in time to make France's squad for the World Cup but has so far played only 30 minutes in three substitute appearances.
Monaco's long injury list includes defender Mohammed Salisu (ACL), winger Ansu Fati (hamstring), goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky (knee) and winger Takumi Minamino (ACL).
Forwards Jérémie Boga and Terem Moffi are reportedly trying to terminate their contracts with Nice after being attacked by their own supporters following a game on Nov. 30.
After a 3-1 defeat at Lorient made it six straight losses, Nice players were confronted by a large number of angry Nice fans when they returned to the club’s training and academy center.
Boga and Moffi took blows to the head and groin and have since been on medical leave. According to sports daily L'Équipe, their case is being examined by the French league legal committee.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Fiorentina's Jonathan Ikone, left, celebrates with Christian Kouame after scoring the 2-0 goal during the Europa Conference League opening phase soccer match between Fiorentina and LASK at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy, Thursday Dec. 12, 2024. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP, File)
FILE - Monaco's Paul Pogba stands on the touchline as players warm-up before a Champions League opening phase soccer match between Monaco and Tottenham Hotspur in Monaco, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni, file)
Marseille's Amine Gouiri, right, and PSG's Marquinhos, left. battle for the ball during the French Super Cup soccer match between PSG and Marseille in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jaber Abdulkhaleg)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique gives instructions during the French Ligue 1 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Paris FC in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
FILE - Lens' head coach Pierre Sage celebrates with players after the French League One soccer match between Lens and Marseille in Lens, France, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File)
