Bruce Pearl Defends $27.5 Million College Sports Bill as Critics Claim Title IX Risks
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 25
Bruce Pearl Defends $27.5 Million College Sports Bill as Critics Claim Title IX Risks
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 25
Summary
Bruce Pearl argued the Protect College Sports Act does not weaken Title IX, pointing to Section 127, which says the bill does not “override, modify, or amend” the law.
Section 120 also bars retaliation in Title IX cases, and Pearl said the measure creates no federal right for biological males to compete in women’s sports or to nullify state sex-based team rules.
Pearl framed the bill as a financial backstop for women’s and Olympic sports, with a $22.5 million athlete-retention fund and up to $5 million more tied to NIL investment in non-revenue programs.
He said the pressure is already visible: 32 Division I Olympic-sports programs were cut between the House settlement announcement and May 2025, while more than 40 were cut from May 2024 to July 2025.
Pearl urged conservatives to stop attacking the bill and back legislation led by Sens. Ted Cruz and Eric Schmitt, warning unchecked NIL spending could approach $30 million for top teams by 2027.