Senate Passes Bill to Shake Up College Sports

The Senate on Monday overwhelmingly approved the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan bill that would give the NCAA a narrow antitrust shield, tighten transfer and eligibility rules, and formally regulate name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals that now bring some athletes seven-figure paydays. Backed by the NCAA, major conferences, and President Trump, the bill, passed with a bipartisan vote of 77-22, now heads to a House that's out until after the November elections, though Trump has said Speaker Mike Johnson may bring the House back into session "to get it voted on," per Politico.

The bill's fate in the House is uncertain. House Republicans oppose multiple provisions, while the Congressional Black Caucus is unanimously opposed. Critics—also including 22 senators, labor groups, athlete advocates, and the NAACP—say the bill reins in players' rights while leaving soaring coaching salaries and athletic department spending largely untouched. As one expert put it to NPR, it looks more like a "Protect the NCAA Act," giving the association more power "at the expense of athletes." Supporters say the measure will impose order and protect non-revenue, women's, and Olympic sports from budget pressure.