College NIL bill includes $25 million 'retention pool' but is that enough to sway Big Ten, SEC?

A reworked Senate bill designed to regulate college sports proposes to more than double the amount of money schools could share with players as part of a flurry of revisions designed to win the support of the Big Ten and… That would be in addition to the $21.3 million schools are allowed to spend this season. The retention pool figures to drastically change that math.

Also uncertain is how it would impact name, image and likeness compensation from third parties, which allows schools to blow past the cap and many agree is the reason costs of assembling football and basketball rosters are spiraling out of control.Jeffrey Kessler, the plaintiffs' attorney in the House case, told The Associated Press: “I would have to see the specific provisions of the entire bill to evaluate any issues with the settlement.”An outline of the changes made to the bill, a copy of which the AP obtained, also included changes the conferences sought over Olympic and women's sports; avoiding creation of so-called super leagues; and making sure conferences won't be required to participate in a media rights pooling arrangement the bill would allow.Two other key points the conferences seek are refined language about limiting lawsuits over eligibility issues and preempting state statutes that guide NIL payments in favor of one uniform national law.In speaking about the ramifications of the bill, Tennessee athletic director Danny White told AP this week that the best way to deal with the lawsuit issues is to let players collectively bargain.“Even if they do act, there’s still a lot of issues that they won’t address and t…