The Protect College Sports Act passed 77-22 and now heads to the U.S. House, where its prospects remain uncertain.
The U.S. Senate passed a sweeping college sports bill Monday that would create national rules for athlete compensation, health care, scholarships and transfers.
The Protect College Sports Act passed 77-22 and now heads to the U.S. House, where its prospects remain uncertain.
The bipartisan measure was introduced by U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas. It would establish a federal right for college athletes to earn money from their name, image and likeness, or NIL, replacing the current patchwork of state laws.
Cantwell said the bill would also codify revenue-sharing opportunities for athletes.
Compensation on revenue sharing is probably the most important thing we could possibly enshrine in federal law today,” Cantwell said before the vote. “This is Congress saying, for the first time, that an athlete gets a percentage of the media rights, the ticket sales and the sponsorship.
The legislation would cap agent fees at 5%, guarantee scholarships for 10 years after an athlete’s eligibility ends and prevent athletes from losing scholarships because of an injury or poor performance.
It would also require Division I schools to cover out-of-pocket medical costs for athletic injuries and illnesses while athletes are enrolled and for five years after eligibility ends.
The bill would require schools to maintain a minimum number of sports, a provision supporters say is intended to protect women’s and Olympic sports. It would also give athletes the right to sue to enforce the bill’s NIL, scholarship, agent-protection and health-and-safety provisions.
The legislation includes broader rules governing revenue sharing, NIL deals, athlete eligibility and transfers, while giving the NCAA authority to enforce some of those standards. apnews.com
Cantwell said the measure is intended to curb rising spending in college sports and protect universities’ academic missions.
“We need to stop stealing money out of college and university institutions for education, for tuition, for professors, and putting it into an arms race on sports,” she said.
Critics have argued the bill gives the NCAA too much authority and does not go far enough to protect athletes’ labor rights or treat them as employees. apnews.com
The House is scheduled to return for legislative business Nov. 9. The bill would need House approval and President Donald Trump’s signature before becoming law.
