President Donald Trump publicly backed the Protect College Sports Act during a visit to the University of Texas versus University of Tennessee football game on Saturday, calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson to push the legislation through the lower chamber.
"Mike Johnson's fantastic. And we actually had 78 votes, if you can believe it. That's really bipartisanship for the first time in a while," Trump said in an interview with commentator Clay Travis. He appeared to reference a 74-24 procedural first vote on Sept. 15.
The bipartisan bill was introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA). It would establish federal rules for college athletics, regulating name, image and likeness deals, athlete eligibility windows, transfer policies, and revenue sharing among institutions.
Trump warned against inaction. "The alternative just is no good," he said. "You had people leaving the National Football League to play and, yeah, the colleges could never have afforded it, and nobody could afford it. It was going to be a terrible thing."
The act would set a revenue-sharing cap at $48.8 million per school, up from $21.3 million currently. It also would create a one-time transfer standard for athletes, establish a five-year eligibility window, and mandate health coverage for student athletes.
The Southeastern Conference has run advertisements supporting the bill during college gameday broadcasts. Trump arrived at Neyland Stadium in Air Force One and conducted a flyover before the game. Texas defeated Tennessee 20-17.
