Protect College Sports Act passes Senate, heads to House of Representatives
The Protect College Sports Act is one step closer to becoming law.
The bipartisan bill passed the Senate on Monday by a vote of 77-22, the biggest legislative step towards federal intervention in collegiate athletics. The bill, authored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), proposes fixes in college sports.
The bill has President Donald Trump’s approval, with Sen. Cruz suggesting that he sign it on ESPN’s College Gameday. But it still must pass the House of Representatives, which is in recess until after midterm elections. For the Protect College Sports Act to become law, it must pass the House by simple majority.
“There is much work left to do to ensure student-athlete benefits are codified into federal law,” the NCAA President said in a statement on Monday. “And future generations of young people can access those benefits and use college sports as the launching point for their careers.”
The Protect College Sports Act would give schools $22.5 million to retain players on top of the $21.6 million cap from the House v. NCAA settlement, with a $5 million pool for women’s sports. If the bill passes in its current form, it would give schools upwards of $50 million to spend on athletics.
The bill's key provision would grant the NCAA, universities and conferences a limited antitrust exemption. This would allow those entities to sell media rights while regulating money and players without the threat of litigation.
The act also aims to stifle the transfer portal. The antitrust exemption would reinstate the NCAA’s former transfer policy, which allows players one transfer for immediate play and penalizes them for a season after. But that has exceptions. In the event of a coaching change or if a player is a graduate transfer, those players will be allowed to play right away.
The bill has Colorado head coach Deion Sanders' endorsement.
Sanders is appearing in a television political advertisement endorsing the Protect College Sports Act, which has been airing during the early college football season.
“As a coach and a father, I'm helping the next generation find their spotlight,” Sanders said in the ad. "[It] strengthens historically black colleges and universities and keeps both men’s and women’s sports strong.”
Colorado’s conference, the Big 12, is also a supporter of the bill, citing its “stable national framework.”
“We are encouraged by the continued progress of the Protect College Sports Act,” the Big 12 said in a statement on Monday. “The future of college sports depends on our ability to move beyond uncertainty and towards lasting solutions, and the Protect College Sports Act is an important step in that direction.”
Despite the support, the bill still faces many obstacles before it becomes law.
The House is out of session until Nov. 3, and the midterm elections’ results should play a role. If Republicans hold on to the majority, the Bill is expected to pass, but if Democrats win the House, the bill’s future could get muddled.
The Protect College Sports Act has also drawn opposition from civil rights groups such as the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus. Each group criticized the bill for giving federal protections to powerful athletic institutions, without protecting athletes.
For now, the bill sits on Capitol Hill, with the future of college athletics in its hands.
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