A Senate committee on June 18 advanced a far-reaching proposal that could significantly alter the future of college athletics while addressing many of the challenges it is currently facing.
In a vote of 19–9, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved the Protect College Sports Act of 2026.
The legislation seeks to regulate compensation to players, restrict athletes to one free transfer over their career, and prevent coaches from switching jobs during a season.
“The greatest threat to college sports is inaction,” the committee’s chairman, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), said during a committee meeting ahead of the vote.
One of the bill’s most notable provisions would grant the NCAA limited protection from certain antitrust laws while establishing a uniform national framework for name, image, and likeness (NIL) regulations. The federal standards would replace the current system of varying state laws governing athlete endorsements and compensation….