Senate Passes College Sports Bill That Caps Athlete Pay

The Senate voted 77-22 on Monday to pass the Protect College Sports Act, a major rewrite of the rules governing college athletics that would set new limits on how much schools can pay players. The college sports bill now heads to the House of Representatives, where it faces an uncertain path.

The vote, reported by USA Today, marks the furthest Congress has ever gotten in a yearslong push to impose order on a system reshaped by court decisions, growing endorsement payments, and constant roster turnover. The college sports bill cleared the Senate Commerce Committee in June and advanced to the full chamber after senators approved cloture by a 74-24 margin.

What the college sports bill would change

The college sports bill would codify a federal right for student-athletes to earn money from their name, image and likeness, ending the patchwork of state laws that currently govern endorsement deals. At the same time, the bill would place new limits on transfers, temporarily pause conference realignment, and create rules about when a college football or basketball coach can be hired away from another program.

Schools could also share more revenue directly with players. Under the bill, revenue-sharing from schools to athletes would expand to approximately $43 to $45 million, with schools allowed to spend up to an additional $5 million on revenue-sharing for women's and Olympic non-revenue sports.

Why supporters say rules are needed

Sen. Ted Cruz, the college sports bill's lead Republican architect alongside Sen. Maria Cantwell, argues that college sports has become financially unsustainable. Before the vote, Cruz told USA Today Sports the bill would curb a spending spiral in which virtually every athletic department is losing millions of dollars, and he described the goal as restoring order, adding that there are essentially no rules today.

Cruz says litigation has struck down virtually all the old rules, leaving athletes free to enter the transfer portal two, three, or four times. He warned that if Congress does not act, hundreds of thousands of roster slots and scholarship positions could disappear. Sen. Eric Schmitt echoed the point, saying the legislation does a good job of balancing all the competing interests under the college sports bill. NCAA president Charlie Baker applauded the bipartisan effort, calling college sports a uniquely American tradition worth protecting.

Why critics say athletes come out losing

Opponents, led by Sens. Cory Booker and Chris Murphy, say the bill puts a ceiling on what players can earn while leaving the largest contracts in the system untouched. Booker, a former college athlete, gave a lengthy floor speech before the vote calling it a bill that would hurt so many, and said he regrets watching his colleagues move forward with it.

The objections go beyond player pay. Opponents argue the college sports bill would cap revenue-sharing for players without reining in multimillion-dollar coaching contracts and buyouts, and it does nothing for collective bargaining or athlete employment status. Booker said lawmakers should have listened to the wisdom of the young people who pour years of work and sacrifice into their craft before rushing the vote. According to the USA Today report, civil rights and labor leaders have been pressing Democrats to block the measure, arguing it disempowers student-athletes, primarily those of color. Similar clashes between the federal government and civil rights advocates are also moving through the courts, in a case asking the Supreme Court to let federal prisons cut trans health care.

What happens next

To become law, the college sports bill still needs a simple majority in the House, and President Trump has signaled he would sign it. But the House is recessed until after the midterm elections in early November, so the measure is not expected to move again until later this year. Cruz has called on House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring lawmakers back immediately, arguing the House can pass the bill in just one day. Cruz even said he has urged Trump to sign it on the set of ESPN's College GameDay at a major game this fall, adding that it is his hope and belief the bill will be signed into law before election day.

Before final passage, senators reshaped the college sports bill with amendments unveiled on September 17. The NCAA would take over compliance oversight to make sure schools meet the bill's health, wellness and safety standards. The restriction on schools switching Power Four conferences was shortened from five years to three, a change that secured support from senators from states like Florida and South Carolina. Medical coverage protections set a minimum standard for athletes without capping what schools owe, and some revenue-sharing money would go into a retention pool tied to academic benchmarks like graduation rates.

With many Republicans campaigning ahead of the midterms, getting the House back to Washington is unlikely to succeed, as USA Today noted. The vote arrived during a busy week of federal action in Washington, including new import bans that have escalated the trade dispute with Canada.