Senate Advances College Sports Bill 74-24

The Senate voted 74-24 to advance the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, a major procedural step toward establishing federal rules for college athletics. The bill would create a five-year eligibility framework, generally limit athletes to one transfer with exceptions, standardize name, image and likeness agreements, regulate agents and recruiting, cap revenue sharing, and require certain medical and post-eligibility scholarship benefits. It would give the NCAA and conferences a limited antitrust exemption, including authority to pool and sell some media rights, while protecting schools from many future legal challenges. Supporters including Sens. Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, the NCAA, major conferences, coaches and President Donald Trump say federal action would address rising costs and the patchwork of state and court-driven rules. Critics including the NAACP, Congressional Black Caucus, labor groups and Sen. Cory Booker argue the bill gives the NCAA and schools too much power while providing insufficient athlete protections and bargaining rights; some Republicans also seek provisions addressing transgender participation in sports. The bill still requires final Senate approval and passage in the House, with timing uncertain because of opposition and the limited legislative calendar before the elections.