The Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act last night, legislation which will create the first federal framework governing college athletics and address major issues including eligibility, revenue-sharing, and NIL deals. The bill passed 77-22.
Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell introduced the bill in May, alongside Senators Eric Schmitt (R-MO) and Chris Coons (D-DE). It has been at the center of intense negotiations between lawmakers, leaders of the Southeastern and Big Ten conferences, and numerous other college sports stakeholders.
Three amendments were adopted last night before final passage:
- Requiring colleges and conferences to disclose amounts over $600 received from a foreign adversary, state-owned enterprise, or sovereign wealth fund (Tim Scott)
- Raising the bill’s cap on conference size from 19 to 20 institutions (Ashley Moody and Richard Blumenthal)
- Specifications that the bill would not preempt state laws related to certain injuries (Tammy Baldwin)
Sen. John Kennedy offered an amendment to cap ticket costs for college sporting events, which was defeated.
The bill now moves to the House, where the earliest it could be considered is November 9. Trump, who created a White House college sports task force last year, has said he would like to sign it before the end of the calendar year.
Click here for a section-by-section description of the bill. A fact sheet prepared by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee is below:
