Cruz, Cantwell Unveil Protect College Sports Act

Two key senators have introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at stabilizing college athletics by establishing a national framework for athlete compensation, limiting transfers, and restricting midseason coaching changes. Senators Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, and Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, are sponsoring the legislation, called the Protect College Sports Act.

The senators, who lead the Senate Commerce Committee, described the bill as a necessary response to what they called a chaotic system. They cited the rapid rise of name, image, and likeness payments to athletes and the frequent use of the transfer portal as destabilizing forces. The legislation is designed to provide what Cruz termed "very targeted antitrust protection" for the NCAA and member schools, which would be coupled with new athlete protections.

In exchange for the legal safeguards, the bill would establish a set of athlete benefits. These include guarantees for health insurance and scholarships, along with more stringent regulations for third-party NIL deals. The legislation would also preempt the current patchwork of state NIL laws, creating a single national standard.