CLEMSON — Just when you thought realignment in college athletics was dormant, something brings it right back to the front of the line.

That something is the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA), which ironically was created, in part, to not encourage realignment. The bill, which could get brought to the floor of the Senate as early as later this week, is a bipartisan federal bill introduced this past May to establish national standards for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements, athlete eligibility, and revenue sharing while providing the NCAA with a limited antitrust exemption.

The bill, in its original form, will not allow any Power 4 conference to expand, unless it brings a team “up” that is currently in a Group of 6 conference. Obviously, that provision in the bill does not sit well with some conferences, especially the SEC and Big Ten Conference.

The creators of the bill, Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), have worked with the two most powerful conferences to amend the bill, especially around the anti-expansion section.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Monday, “the latest discussions about the Protect College Sports Act’s most scrutinized section – realignment restrictions – has a new focus. The discussion centers around leagues being capped at 19 programs. (The Big Ten has currently has 18 and SEC 16, for example.)”

This could impact Clemson and its chances of potentially landing in the SEC or Big Ten in the future, which is the whole reason why it and Florida State sued the ACC for its grant of rights in the first place back in 2024.

Thamel also reported that the bill will say “for a (team) to leave a power conference to join another, they’d have to play five years as an independent. The Group of 6 schools would be allowed to move up in the latest discussions.”

This means, if the SEC and Big Ten want to grow, they likely will have to make those invitations before the bill is passed.

Another report suggests, “the government is working to stop a Super League by capping the SEC and Big Ten at either 18 or 19 teams. Two high-ranking SEC officials told me that the threat that something like that proposal could become law has led to speculation that the long-awaited conference realignments could come sooner rather than later. Even before TV/Media deals are up.”

On Monday, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said he continues to have conversations with congressional leaders about the PCSA. During his opening statements at SEC Media Days, Sankey confirmed there have been “real” conversations about whether the league should break away and start its own “Super League” with presumedly the Big Ten. 

During his opening address to the media at last week’s ACC Kickoff, Commissioner Jim Phillips was asked about the bill and whether he is worried that the Power 2 Conferences could raid the ACC to get under the clock of the PCSA.

“Here is what I would say very directly, and I’ve said this multiple times. I’ve always wanted this conference to be a place where schools want to be, not that they have to be,” he said. “So, I’ll leave it at that.”

These discussions could lead to movement before the bill is passed and becomes law.