Sens. Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell announce bipartisan bill aimed at stabilizing college sports

Key Points:

• Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, aiming to stabilize college sports by allowing the NCAA to limit athlete transfers and eligibility, enforce spending caps, and prevent a breakaway "super league" by major conferences like the Big Ten and SEC.
• The bill includes antitrust exemptions for transfer rules and media rights pooling, which would let conferences collectively sell TV rights to increase revenue and help fund non-revenue sports, though it requires at least 75% of FBS schools to agree.
• It seeks to regulate athlete compensation by enforcing a cap on direct payments and closing pay-for-play loopholes, while allowing outside name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals; however, it avoids defining athletes as employees, leaving open future collective bargaining possibilities.
• The legislation also addresses issues like preventing coaches from leaving mid-season, regulating athlete agents, maintaining scholarships for non-revenue sports, and requiring medical care standards, but faces expected resistance from the Big Ten, SEC, and a polarized Congress.
• With support from President Trump and many Division I conference commissioners (excluding the Big Ten and SEC), the bill faces a critical window before the August Congressional recess and the November midterm elections to overcome political hurdles and be enacted into law.