On May 19, 2026, the NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact formally recommended women's flag football as an emerging sport. But behind the scenes, the college sports governing body is locked in a fierce battle for its own survival, desperately seeking federal intervention. On The Pat McAfee Show, host Pat McAfee explained that a pending Senate Commerce Committee vote aims to "put into motion" a bipartisan bill to restore order. As McAfee sees it, the legislation is designed "to empower the NCAA to be able to regulate college sports right now" because currently, the organization is too timid to act.
While Pat McAfee views the potential new rules as a positive step, asking "why would this not get passed?" to empower enforcement, others are far more cynical about giving the governing body its teeth back. On First Take, Paul Finebaum pointed out that "what college athletics wants desperately is antitrust protection," arguing that the powerhouse conferences are currently undervalued due to outdated media deals.
Stephen A. Smith took an even harsher stance on First Take, blasting the organization's track record of athlete exploitation. Smith warned that the court of public opinion—and actual judges—won't easily forget the past, stating that "the transgressions of the NCAA have been glarin." Whether Congress will bail out the embattled institution with the SCORE Act or leave it to face further antitrust litigation remains the defining question for the future of college sports.