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The roller-coaster ride for the Protect College Sports Act in the US Senate continues, and this time with an amendment that could conceivably throw the entire sport upside down yet again. After months of debate and negotiations, not just in the chamber, but amongst the conferences, it finally looked like an agreement had been reached with all parties. The concerns of the SEC and the Big Ten were met, the bill had bipartisan support, and the summer recess deadline to get something done was going to be met. But then Congress happened and the whole thing is in jeopardy once again. After a dozen Republican lawmakers filed amendment, and the bill drew a rejection from the Congressional Black Caucus, it was not brought forward for a vote before the recess. Now with a month on the sidelines until the Senate returns in September, the bill is suddenly facing an uphill struggle. And one of those amendments brought forward could present an earthquake to the fragile house of cards that currently is college athletics. One round of conference realignment has already seen the Pac-12 as a casualty, raided and rebuilt as a mid-major league (following their own raid of the Mountain West). Realignment has been one of the harsh realities of the modern era of college sports, puzzling fans, destroying rivalries, and seeing schools chase TV revenue over all else. And now it could be the ACC’s turn under pressure once again. As reported by Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, an amendment proposed by Florida senator Ashley Moody would provide schools with a window of 180 days to leave their conference following the bill’s enactment. Previously, there was a provision in the bill to prevent further conference expansion and consolidation in capping leagues at 19 teams. Given Florida State and Miami have both made noise about their futures, the ACC would be placed under enormous pressure. And the fact that it’s their home state senator making the move is certain to raise alarm bells. In another proposed change, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) filed an amendment to create an exception in the bill’s anti-expansion provision to permit power conference schools to move to another power league without the five-year probationary period — a filing likely encouraged by in-state schools Florida State and Miami. According to the amendment, if a power league school wants to move to another power conference, the school can avoid the five-year probationary period of operating as an independent if it withdraws from its league within 180 days of the bill’s enactment. The expansion provision in the bill is one of the most hotly debated and divisive concepts. Multiple ACC schools are against the concept and have lobbied their lawmakers for changes to it. Even with the cap at 19 teams still in place, the ACC is the most logical target for the Power 2 conferences. And that’s the obvious reason why they are lobbying to remove the amendment. The SEC still has three open spots with 16 teams already and could make a logical home for football powerhouse programs like Miami, Florida State, and Clemson. North Carolina to the Big Ten has been proposed so many times over the years it’s hard to count. And if Notre Dame truly desires to stay independent forever, that could be a match as well with just one spot remaining. After that, we have seen before with the Pac-12 that just a couple moves could send realignment into overdrive in a Game of Thrones style fight for survival. The Big 12 could poach schools looking for a lifeline and security. Others may be lost in the shuffle. The ACC faces the most perilous scenario in another round of realignment given their unfavorable TV deal with ESPN stretching until 2036 and Florida State’s previous efforts to leave the conference. Even though top schools have been given more advantageous payouts, the desire to leave still looks like it hasn’t gone anywhere. And that may be the biggest news here. The Protect College Sports Act still has a long way to go before it comes law, and now its fate looks entirely uncertain. But if a Florida senator is giving the green light for schools to immediately jump ship in a one-time grace period, it signals that the realignment fight is far from over.