WASHINGTON — Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, a bipartisan bill aimed at stabilizing college athletics and establishing national standards for athlete compensation. Senators Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined as co-sponsors.
The legislation targets the regulatory chaos that has spread across college sports programs nationwide. Conflicting state laws and institutional policies governing name, image and likeness deals, the transfer portal and revenue sharing have left the NCAA and its member schools operating under a patchwork of rules with no consistent floor.
The bill would set a uniform national standard covering how colleges manage athlete transfers, structure revenue sharing agreements and oversee NIL opportunities — giving every division a single framework instead of 50 different ones.
Cruz chairs the Senate Commerce Committee; Cantwell is its ranking member. Their joint push gives the bill an institutional weight that most legislation never gets: the top two members of the committee with jurisdiction over interstate commerce, and over collegiate sports, are driving it together.
The bill has drawn support from major athletic conferences. Both the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference have endorsed the legislation, a signal that the most powerful stakeholders in college sports want federal action.
Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban has also publicly endorsed the bill, adding a prominent voice from within the athletic community.
The bill was first introduced in May. Staff have continued refining the text, with revisions still being finalized and expected by Monday.
With bipartisan sponsorship and conference backing secured, the bill is now headed for a Senate floor vote — a critical test of whether Congress can finally impose order on college athletics after years of failed attempts. A floor vote would determine whether the bill advances to the House.
For athletes, the bill promises clearer rules around earning potential and transfer rights. Schools would gain a consistent regulatory environment, reducing legal and financial uncertainty. The NCAA would receive the federal framework many of its member institutions have sought for years.
