Outlining concerns, SEC's Sankey worries Senate bill could produce more lawsuits, not fewer

One of Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey's concerns with a recently introduced Senate bill designed to fix college sports is that it could increase the likelihood of the very type of litigation the measure proposes to reduce.

Sankey sent a letter to SEC presidents and chancellors last week, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, that outlined about two dozen fixes that he and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti discussed in a June 4 videoconference with one of the bill's sponsors, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

Among the concerns Sankey expressed was about the “unintended legal exposure” that could come in a section of the bill that allows athletes to file civil lawsuits in certain cases — a right that many Democrats have sought to protect.

“As drafted, these provisions are likely to increase litigation rather than reduce it,” Sankey wrote.

Though the SEC and Big Ten have not backed the Protect College Sports Act as currently written, they did believe that with targeted revisions it could deliver “meaningful stability and accountability needed in college athletics," Sankey wrote.

Cruz and co-sponsor Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., have portrayed their bipartisan bill, which would need 60 votes to clear the Senate, as the last, best chance to make lasting fixes to college sports. They have indicated they are open to adjustments in the 111-page measure, which they rolled out May 27.

Sankey's letter to the 16 leaders of schools that make up the SEC ticked off two dozen bullet points about parts of the bill the leagues agreed need changes.

Many of those issues revolved around two key components the leagues and NCAA have been fighting for in previous bills: limited protection against lawsuits and preemption of state laws.

Sankey wrote that broadening the preemption clause to include not only NIL, transfer and eligibility issues, but to also apply to recruiting inducements, tampering and non-NIL compensation, could help fix that section.

He also called on the bill to more clearly protect schools and conferences from litigation if they are complying with the law if it passes.

“The House settlement framework may not be perfect, but the settlement and the bill must work together — not against each other,” Sankey wrote, referencing the landmark lawsuit settlement that set rules for players to be paid in college sports, much of which this bill proposes to write into law.

The letter also addressed the much-debated proposal to rewrite the Sports Broadcasting Act and give conferences an option to pool their media rights. It's a move the SEC and Big Ten have objected to, unconvinced it would generate increased revenue that its supporters claim is possible.

“If the intent is for the current SBA provisions to be fully voluntary, additional language is needed to ensure this voluntary decision-making process is protected and not circumvented through creative legal strategies,” Sankey wrote.

A scenario he described in the letter made it sound possible that other conferences could pool their postseason media rights (outside of March Madness) and essentially squeeze the SEC and Big Ten out of a new football postseason that could replace the College Football Playoff.

In another section that sounded supportive of the new College Sports Commission, which evaluates NIL under the current system, Sankey wrote that the bill needs language requiring the deals to be disclosed to a national entity, like the CSC, in addition to disclosing it to administrators at their own campus.

“Disclosure to a national governing entity is critical to enable independent enforcement and align with the reporting requirements in the House settlement,” Sankey wrote.

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Sen. Ted Cruz R-Texas, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, speaks during a hearing to examine college sports, supporting student athletes, and fair competition on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Exactly one year after his major league debut, Jacob Misiorowski threw record heat over eight innings and took the mound for the ninth with the chance to pitch his first professional complete game.

“When I walked out for the ninth, my whole body shivered and the adrenaline really kicked in,” he said.

Misiorowski threw a 104.5 mph pitch, the fastest by a starting pitcher since tracking began, and struck out 15 with no walks in a one-hitter that led the Milwaukee Brewers over the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0 on Friday night.

“That was as good as it gets,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “To pitch a game like that against an offense like that with all those All-Stars over there, it was an incredible performance.”

Misiorowski had never pitched past the seventh inning in 27 previous big league starts.

As he strode to the mound for the ninth inning, the capacity crowd of 40,205 rose in unison. Misiorowski retired Gabriel Rincones Jr. and J.T. Realmuto on groundouts, then struck out Justin Crawford with a 103.1 mph pitch that ended the game.

Misiorowski raised his hands in the air and turned to embrace catcher William Contreras.

“There was no chance I was going to throw anything other than a heater right there. I was amped up,” Misiorowski said.

He struck out Kyle Schwarber leading off the game with his fifth pitch, a 104.5 mph offering at the low, outsider corner that was tipped into Contreras' mitt.

Misiorowski (8-2) threw four pitches of 104 mph or higher, all faster than the previous high for a starter of 103.7 mph he set at Colorado on June 7. The fastest pitch overall since tracking began in 2008 was 105.8 mph by Cincinnati reliever Aroldis Chapman in September 2010.

Misiorowski reached 100 mph with a record 58 pitches, one more than he threw against St. Louis on May 25. He tossed 74 of 95 pitches for strikes and lowered his major league-leading ERA to 1.34 in just the eighth complete game and fifth individual shutout in the majors this year.

He has a 0.17 ERA in his last eight starts and the 15 strikeouts were the most by any pitcher this season. Milwaukee had not had a complete game since Brandon Woodruff on Sept. 11, 2023, against Miami.

Misiorowski started the game with four straight strikeouts and fanned eight of his first nine batters.

“You pretty much better be ready to hit the fastball. You don’t see guys like this often,” Phillies manager Don Mattingly said before the game. “We see more guys throw 100 mph or up in that range, but you don’t see guys that are consistent like him. If you can’t hit a fastball, you’re in big trouble.”

Misiorowski faced the minimum 27 batters. Schwarber singled on a slider on the first pitch of the fourth and, after Bryce Harper struck out, Trea Turner grounded into an inning-ending double play.

“It was a backdoor slider that I located well, but maybe slightly off,” Misiorowski said of the pitch to Schwarber. "I was trying to jump out ahead of him. He made good contact and poked it through. End of the story.”

Murphy said Misiorowski has continued to mature.

“His work between starts is consistent,” Murphy said. “He’s worked hard in the weight room. He’s worked hard building a routine. This guy loves the ball in his hand.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski reacts after striking out a Philadelphia Phillies batter during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 12, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski reacts after recording the final out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski reacts after recording the final out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)