Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., introduced the Protect College Sports Act on Thursday, a bipartisan proposal they crafted as chair and ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee to address years of legislative inaction on regulating name, image and likeness payments, transfer portal abuse and coaching movement in college athletics.
The bill would grant targeted antitrust protection to the NCAA and College Sports Commission in exchange for what Cruz called "public-facing protections" for athletes in 10 areas, including health insurance guarantees, scholarship protections and stricter NIL regulations. Cantwell said they were motivated by concerns that rising player costs and an out-of-control transfer portal had threatened smaller sports programs.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans have largely supported giving the NCAA more flexibility to govern college sports without federal interference, making the antitrust provisions a key selling point for conservative backing. The bill would preempt state-level NIL laws that have created what Cruz called "a patchwork" of regulations across the country.
Cruz framed the legislation as addressing coaching instability by prohibiting midseason moves like Lane Kiffin's departure from Ole Miss to LSU last year. "It's not fair or right to poach a coach in the middle of the season while the team is still competing," Cruz said, noting the NFL maintains similar restrictions.
The ACC and Big 12 conferences indicated openness to reviewing the bill's details. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said he hoped the legislation would allow his league to "build upon today's positive momentum."
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive Democrats have long pushed to classify college athletes as employees of their schools rather than students, a stance that could complicate support for the PCSA. The Congressional Black Caucus and NAACP opposed the earlier SCORE Act partly over employment concerns.
Cantwell sought to address those worries by taking what she called a "neutral" position on employee classification in the new bill. She emphasized that the legislation protects "the entire ecosystem" rather than focusing only on top football players who may pursue professional careers.
Meredith Page, chair of the NCAA Division I Student Athlete Advocacy Committee and a former volleyball player at Radford University, called the bill "a phenomenal step," particularly after the SCORE Act's latest setback. She highlighted protections for athletes in an industry she described as "so unstable right now."
Some Democrats have also expressed concern that provisions benefiting the SEC could undermine smaller conferences. Cantwell acknowledged this by noting she and Cruz worked to ensure opportunities exist "for athletes to continue to have that collegiate experience" across all programs.
What the Numbers Show
The bill targets a college football landscape where some rosters now carry $30 million payrolls following the NIL era's explosion. Under current rules, players can transfer unlimited times without penalty, and coaches routinely switch schools mid-season.
The PCSA would limit players to one unrestricted transfer over their collegiate careers while adopting approximately the five-year eligibility window the NCAA appears prepared to enact next month. The legislation would also require conferences pooling television rights under a reworked Sports Broadcasting Act to direct a percentage of increased revenue toward women's and Olympic sports programs.
To pass the Senate, the bill needs 60 votes to overcome a potential filibuster in the closely divided chamber. Sports law attorney Mit Winter told AP he was skeptical such a comprehensive proposal could pass as written given its scope.
The Bottom Line
The Cruz-Cantwell legislation represents the most serious bipartisan attempt yet to address college sports' transformation since NIL payments became legal in 2021. Whether it can gather 60 Senate votes remains uncertain, particularly after the SCORE Act's collapse when the Congressional Black Caucus and NAACP opposed it last week.
Key hurdles include reconciling SEC interests with requirements for revenue sharing with women's sports, resolving questions about athlete employment status that Democrats have prioritized, and addressing attorney Winter's observation that the bill may be "too sprawling" to gain traction. The House has shown little appetite for moving on college sports legislation following its recent withdrawal of the SCORE Act.