By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
The Protect College Sports Act passed a major barrier on Monday night when it passed the U.S. Senate by an overwhelming 77-22 vote.
The landmark bipartisan bill was created by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to establish national standards for athlete transfers, player eligibility rules, NIL enforcement and revenue sharing while also providing the NCAA with limited antitrust protection, shielding it from constant legal challenges over eligibility and transfer disputes.
“From the beginning, our objective was not to squeak by with 60 or 61 votes but to have a big bipartisan vote that demonstrates the importance of stepping in and saving and preserving college sports,” Sen. Cruz told reporters Monday night, according to ESPN. “President Trump is eager to sign this legislation.”
The vote came two weeks after the Senate returned from its five-week summer recess, and several notable changes were made after Senators reconvened.
The Senate made immediate changes to the bill to allow for transfer exceptions, among other things, and the following week, filed an additional 35 revisions that included limiting college coaching compensation to $5 million a year (which didn’t was rejected Monday).
After the bill passed its first procedural vote 74-24 on September 15, which cleared it to move to the Senate floor, it passed a second vote 70-21 on September 22 to invoke cloture, setting the stage for a final vote on legislation on the 28th.
“There are several things in this bill that are really important to enshrine into federal law at this time. First and foremost, the federal right to NIL [Name, Image, and Likeness],” Sen. Cantwell said in a speech on the Senate floor ahead of the vote.
“But compensation on revenue sharing is probably the most important thing we could possibly enshrine in federal law today. This is [Congress] saying, for the first time, that an athlete gets a percentage of the media rights, the ticket sales, and the sponsorship.”
We also believe in a health and safety standard in federal law, one that protects the athletes beyond the way the law works today and gives them the right to sue and hold these people accountable for any kind of health and safety violations […] And then medical coverage for five years post eligibility, and capping agents’ [fees] at 5%.”
In August, despite a last ditch attempt, the Protect College Sports Act failed to reach a vote before the Senate recess.
In the effort to get a vote in last month, the Protect College Sports Act made key revisions to gain support from the SEC and Big Ten that included adding a $22.5 million retention pool for schools to use to retain players, along with $5 million in additional retention “unlocked dollar-for-dollar by NIL spending on women’s and Olympic sports.”
Now that its passed the Senate, the landmark bipartisan bill will move to the House of Representatives, where its expected to face opposition from both Democrats and Republicans and will have a short window of time to earn support.
The US Senate has overwhelmingly voted to pass the Protect College Sports Act, garnering 77 supporting votes in the 100-member chamber – a historic moment.
Now a key question looms: Can the bill, as written, pass the House?
A @YahooSports analysis coming later.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 29, 2026
NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a statement on Monday following the bill being passed, thanking the Senators, along with student-athletes, for pushing to move the bill forward.
“Student-athletes from across the country and all three NCAA Divisions worked hard to get on this legislation moving and thanks to their advocacy, the bill just received a massive, bipartisan vote in the Senate,” Baker said. “The NCAA thanks the many senators who sponsored this bill – including Senators Cruz, Cantwell, Schmitt and Coons – as well as the many other senators who voted for the bill, for their bipartisan effort to protect this uniquely American tradition of college sports in the decades to come.
“Now the bill moves to the U.S. House of Representatives and there is much work left to do to ensure student-athlete benefits are codified into federal law and future generations of young people can access those benefits and use college sports as the launching point for their careers.”
The NCAA also sent out a memo to its members encouraging them to continue backing the bill as it moves to the House.
NCAA memo sent to members t.co/I2IjnJxvuu pic.twitter.com/ia1PIma2S1
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 29, 2026
The Senate reportedly considered seven amendments to the bill before its vote on Monday night, including lawmakers voting 52-47 against the provision that would have capped coaching salaries at $5 million per year.
“If the bill supporters believe these rules are necessary for athletes, they should be willing to apply them to coaches, as well,” Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said, according to ESPN. “This bill sells out college athletes.”
The House isn’t scheduled to vote on any bills until after the midterm elections in November.
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