Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press
Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press
Eddie Pells, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is set to vote on a bipartisan bill on Monday that aims to regulate college sports, addressing issues related to athlete payments and transfers between schools. The Senate session is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. EDT.
If passed, the legislation would establish national regulations governing payments to college athletes for their name, image, and likeness, as well as the frequency of their transfers. It would grant the NCAA new authority to enforce these rules and provide limited antitrust protections.
The bill results from years of negotiations, particularly following a 2025 lawsuit settlement that allowed colleges to pay players, significantly altering the college sports landscape. The proposed legislation would codify this settlement while introducing new regulations to manage costs for colleges.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, stated, "It would be nice if college sports could somehow magically fix itself, but this is a matter of law, federal law, and only Congress can fix it." Cruz collaborated with Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the committee, to draft the bill.
Supporters, including over 70 senators from both parties, argue that the bill seeks to reduce litigation and uncertainty in college sports for athletes, schools, and fans. It would also provide new health and labor protections for student athletes.
Critics, however, contend that the bill falls short in protecting athletes and fails to address the substantial financial resources directed toward coaches, colleges, and conferences. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat, remarked that the bill "ensconces a system of exploitation" without resolving broader issues.
President Donald Trump has shown interest in the legislation, and the White House endorsed it last month. However, the bill may encounter challenges in the House, which has struggled to advance a different version and is currently in recess until after the November elections.
If the bill does not pass both chambers by the end of the year, lawmakers will need to start anew in the next Congress.
The legislation would codify the court settlement, including a revenue cap allowing schools to share up to $21.5 million with players. It would also enable some schools to increase this amount by an additional $27.5 million through a retention fund and allow for pooled TV media rights to generate more revenue.
Additionally, the bill aims to stabilize the NCAA transfer portal by limiting player transfers to one "free" move over five years, with some exceptions, and restricts total eligibility to five years.
The proposed eligibility limit addresses concerns over schools that have pushed boundaries, such as LSU's plans to include players who participated in NFL training camps.
The legislation would also prevent coaches from leaving schools during the season and limit conferences to a maximum of 19 programs, aiming to avoid the formation of "superleagues." Schools wishing to switch conferences would need to spend three years as independents, down from five years in the original proposal.
New protections for athletes would include caps on agent fees, guarantees for health insurance, and certain scholarships. Schools would be required to maintain a minimum number of sports and roster spots to protect women's and Olympic sports.
Despite these measures, some Democrats argue that the bill does not sufficiently limit the financial influence in college sports. Murphy noted that while the legislation caps student revenue shares, it does not impose limits on coaches' salaries or donations to athletic programs.
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine expressed concern that the new antitrust protections could hinder athletes' ability to sue universities, stating that "taking away their legal rights strikes me as a bridge too far."
Opposition has also come from organizations like the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus, primarily due to the unresolved status of athletes as employees with collective bargaining rights. All four Black Democrats in the Senate have opposed the bill.
Sen. Cory Booker, who played football at Stanford, emphasized the need for reform in college athletics, stating that the NCAA's request for expanded powers to exempt itself from antitrust laws is concerning.
Some Republicans have also criticized the bill as excessive federal intervention in collegiate athletics. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida stated that the legislation "goes way too far."
Despite bipartisan support in the Senate, the bill's future in the House remains uncertain, particularly given the upcoming elections and the lack of clarity on the Republican agenda. Pressure from Trump may aid in its passage, but some House Republicans are advocating for explicit language stating that athletes are not employees, which is absent from the Senate bill.