The Protect College Sports Act cleared the US Senate on Sunday with a 77-22 vote. The bipartisan NCAA sports bill, led by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), still needs to clear the House before reaching the president's desk.
What the Protect College Sports Act Means for College Athletes and Women's Sports
In plain terms, the legislation means college athletes would have a federally protected right to profit from their name, image and likeness. Schools could also share up to $48 million a year in revenue directly with players — more than double the current cap — with an extra $5 million reserved for women's and Olympic sport athletes. Agents, meanwhile, could not take more than 5% of any NIL deal.
The bill also builds in safeguards for non-revenue programs. Schools with more than $80 million in annual revenue would have to keep their women's and Olympic sports rosters at 2024/25 levels, preventing programs from being quietly cut to fund football or men's basketball.
On top of that, athletes would keep their scholarships for up to a decade after eligibility ends and receive medical coverage for sports-related injuries for five years after their final season.
Still, the road ahead is uncertain. Getting the NCAA sports bill through the House could prove more difficult, and no timeline for a vote has emerged. But if signed into law, the Protect College Sports Act would be the first time Congress has directly regulated how college athletics operate.
