The U.S. Senate is preparing to vote on Monday regarding the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan legislative effort designed to establish a national framework for name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights in collegiate athletics. The vote marks one of the final legislative actions before the Senate recesses ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Co-sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, both of whom lead the Senate Commerce Committee, the bill aims to formalize student-athletes’ ability to profit from their personal brand while simultaneously providing the NCAA and athletic conferences with an antitrust shield to enforce specific regulations.
“The NIL era is here. The Protect College Sports Act embraces this new reality by codifying and protecting the rights of student athletes to earn money from their name, image, and likeness, and establishing the rules necessary to end the chaos,” Cruz stated during floor proceedings last week.
Key provisions of the legislation include tightening transfer rules to allow athletes one penalty-free school switch, capping athletic eligibility at five years, and increasing revenue-sharing pools. Notably, the bill allocates up to $5 million specifically for women’s and Olympic sports, which typically generate less revenue than men’s football and basketball programs.
While the bill is expected to clear the Senate, its path forward is unclear. The House is not scheduled to return until after the November 2026 midterm elections. Furthermore, the legislation has drawn criticism from the Congressional Black Caucus and civil rights organizations such as the NAACP, who oppose certain aspects of the measure.
This legislative push follows nearly five years of congressional hearings and proposed bills since a series of court rulings forced the NCAA to abandon its long-standing ban on compensating student-athletes and relax transfer restrictions. These legal shifts have fundamentally altered the college sports landscape, allowing top performers, particularly in football and basketball, to move between schools with greater ease.
They finally capped eligibility at five years. Good for them, but I doubt it stops big schools from hoarding talent.