ABSTRACT

The U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act on Monday, 77-22, according to NBC Connecticut. The bipartisan bill, negotiated by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., would regulate college athlete name, image and likeness payments, transfers and eligibility, and grant the NCAA limited antitrust protections. It would still have to pass the House, where its future is unclear; the House is in recess until after the November elections, according to NBC Connecticut and CT Public. Connecticut Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy voted against the bill, according to CT Mirror.

NBC Connecticut

Senate Passes College Sports Regulation Bill, 77-22

Sep 28, 2026, 10:18 PM

Context

According to NBC Connecticut, the bill would codify a 2025 court settlement that allowed colleges to directly pay players for name, image and likeness, and it includes a revenue cap allowing schools to share up to $21.5 million with players; the legislation would allow up to an additional $27.5 million in payments through a retention fund for some schools. CT Public reported the bill would raise a cap to $49 million across all sports for any given school. CT Mirror reported the bill sets standards around revenue sharing for NIL deals, requires students to report compensation from NIL agreements exceeding $600 and caps agent fees at 5%.

On transfers and eligibility: CT Mirror reported the bill would change unlimited transfers to one penalty-free transfer, with exceptions for sexual assault or misconduct, a program shutting down or a head coach leaving. NBC Connecticut reported it would restrict transfers to one free move over five years without sitting out a year, with some exceptions. NBC Connecticut and CT Public reported a five-year eligibility limit. CT Mirror reported an age cap of 24 years old; CT Public reported the eligibility limit starts once a player enrolls or turns 19. NBC Connecticut also reported the bill would restrict coaches from leaving during the season, require schools switching conferences to spend three years as an independent and prevent conferences from growing larger than 20 programs. CT Mirror and NBC Connecticut reported an amendment by Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., raised the conference membership cap from 19 to 20; CT Mirror said Blumenthal cosponsored it.

Support and opposition: CT Mirror reported the bill garnered support from NCAA leadership, professional sports leagues, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees and a number of college coaches and athletic directors. NBC Connecticut reported more than 70 senators from both parties backed it, saying it aims to curtail litigation and uncertainty and give athletes new health and labor protections. CT Mirror and NBC Connecticut reported opposition from labor and civil rights groups including the AFL-CIO, NAACP and Congressional Black Caucus, and from student athletes. CT Mirror reported the University of Alabama and Auburn University were among notable colleges opposing it. NBC Connecticut reported the Senate rejected amendments by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., to limit ticket prices and by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., to cap coaches' salaries at $5 million a year and increase compensation for athletes with catastrophic injuries.

House path: NBC Connecticut reported the bill's future is unclear and it could face an uphill battle in the House, which failed repeatedly over the last year to get a different version to the floor and is in recess until after the November elections. Lawmakers would have to start over in the next Congress if the bill does not pass both chambers by the end of the year, NBC Connecticut reported. CT Public reported the House is not scheduled to return until after the midterms in November.

All Perspectives

Bill supporters in the Senate: More than 70 senators from both parties backed the bill and said it aims to curtail constant litigation and uncertainty across college sports for athletes, schools and fans and to give hundreds of thousands of athletes new health and labor protections, according to NBC Connecticut. CT Mirror reported the bill secured support from members of both parties and that it easily cleared multiple procedural votes in recent weeks.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas): Cruz, a lead negotiator and co-author, said the bill was 'designed to bring order to the chaos' and that 'only Congress can fix it.' He said after passage: 'We saw an amazing coalition come together that is fighting for the hundreds of thousands of college athletes all across this country, for universities all across this nation, and for the millions of fans who love college sports and want to preserve it and protect it.'

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.): Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee and a co-author, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press about eligibility limits: 'That was probably like a big lamp for some people who saw it and said, Oh my God, this is so out of control.'

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.): Schmitt, a conservative cosponsor, said: 'If you would have asked me a few years ago - just a few years ago - whether or not Congress had a role in any of this, I would have been very, very skeptical. But watching it as closely as I have just as a fan, and then getting to know people, whether they're coaches or athletic directors or players or university presidents, the current trajectory is just unsustainable.'

President Donald Trump: Trump praised the bill in a social media post after the late night passage, saying: 'This is a really big deal. It will not only save college sports, it will save the colleges themselves.'

Dan Hurley, UConn men's basketball coach: Hurley supported the legislation, saying a measure establishing national standards is needed 'even if it's not perfect.' He said: 'The bill allows for both of those things to happen,' referring to players getting paid and being able to transfer.

University of Connecticut: UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said: 'Given the current landscape in college sports, UConn believes it is critical that federal legislation be adopted as soon as possible. The university continues to advocate for legislation that provides a fair and uniform national framework that allows UConn and our student athletes to be successful now and in the future.'

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.): Blumenthal, who voted no, said: 'After all the years I've spent working on this issue, I could never for one minute trust the NCAA to police itself. This bill forces the athletes themselves to enforce its safeguards against the NCAA and conferences that have the power to destroy their athletic careers.' He also said: 'Despite my bipartisan amendment to increase conference access, the legislation still does not adequately promote vigorous competition among teams and conferences and instead preserves the exclusive club of the current Power Four membership to the detriment of smaller universities, many in Connecticut.'

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.): Murphy, who voted no, argued the legislation 'protects a system of exploitation' and that students would be better protected through the right to organize and collectively bargain. He defined it as a civil rights issue that significantly affects Black student athletes. On the Senate floor, he said: 'In the end, this bill, if it passes and becomes law, is actually going to be a long-term threat to college athletics. Students are not dumb. They're not going to sit in college sports with a cap on their earnings.' He added: 'That will be the primary impact of this artificial cap on compensation, this massive antitrust exemption for colleges, I think it may well, in the end, be the unwinding of college sports.' He also said the bill 'places a cap on the students' cut of the revenues, but there are no caps on coaches' salaries or on the size of donations to athletic programs.'

Labor and civil rights groups: The AFL-CIO, NAACP, Congressional Black Caucus and student athletes across the country opposed the bill, according to CT Mirror. NBC Connecticut reported they opposed it in part because it leaves unresolved whether athletes should be considered employees with the ability to collectively bargain, and critics say it does not do enough to protect athletes or curtail the enormous sums of money flowing to coaches, colleges and conferences.

University of Alabama and Auburn University: CT Mirror reported these colleges were among notable institutions opposing the bill, without stating their rationale.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.): Kennedy proposed an amendment that would have put limits on ticket prices for fans; it was rejected, according to NBC Connecticut.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.): Booker proposed amendments that would have capped coaches' salaries at $5 million a year and increased compensation for athletes who have catastrophic injuries; both were rejected, according to NBC Connecticut.

NCAA leadership and sports organizations: The bill garnered support from NCAA leadership, professional sports leagues, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees and a number of college coaches and athletic directors, according to CT Mirror.

Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.): Moody proposed a last-minute amendment to raise the conference membership cap from 19 to 20, according to NBC Connecticut; CT Mirror reported it was Blumenthal's amendment cosponsored with Moody.

Position not represented in the source reporting: House leadership; NCAA; Student athletes; AFL-CIO, NAACP and Congressional Black Caucus.

Where sources differ

Vote tally: NBC Connecticut reported the Senate passed the bill 77-22. CT Mirror reported it passed by a comfortable margin with support from both parties but did not provide a vote count. CT Public, reporting before the vote, said it was expected to pass with a bipartisan majority.
Revenue-sharing amount: NBC Connecticut reported a cap allowing schools to share up to $21.5 million with players, plus up to an additional $27.5 million through a retention fund for some schools. CT Public reported the bill would raise the cap to $49 million across all sports for any given school. CT Mirror did not provide a specific revenue-sharing figure.
Eligibility age cap: CT Mirror reported five years of eligibility with an age cap of 24 years old. CT Public reported the five-year eligibility limit starts once a player has enrolled in school or on their 19th birthday. NBC Connecticut reported a five-year total eligibility limit without mentioning an age cap.
Transfer exceptions: CT Mirror specified exceptions for sexual assault or misconduct, a program shutting down or a head coach leaving. NBC Connecticut and CT Public referred to some exceptions without listing them.
Conference membership cap amendment: CT Mirror described the amendment to raise the conference membership cap from 19 to 20 as Blumenthal's amendment, cosponsored with Republican Sen. Ashley Moody. NBC Connecticut described it as a last-minute amendment proposed by Florida Sen. Ashley Moody.

Gaps & Unknowns

None of the sources establishes whether the House will take up the bill, when it might vote, or whether the bill will become law.
No source provides direct comment from House leadership or from the NCAA beyond reports that NCAA leadership supported the bill.
No source provides the rationale from the University of Alabama or Auburn University for opposing the bill.
No source quotes individual student athletes or provides direct comment from the AFL-CIO, NAACP or Congressional Black Caucus beyond summaries of their opposition.
The sources do not resolve the differing figures for revenue sharing or the differing descriptions of the eligibility age cap and transfer exceptions.
The sources do not establish whether athletes would be considered employees under the bill, an issue NBC Connecticut says is unresolved.
The sources do not provide the full text or details of the amendments adopted, including the provision making it easier for athletes to sue over sexual assault and the requirement to disclose foreign financing.
The sources do not establish how the bill would affect UConn's conference membership or other specific schools' conference prospects.
The sources do not establish the exact timing of the vote beyond Monday night or the President's post.

Sources & Further Reading

CT Mirror — original — by Lisa Hagen
NBC Connecticut — by Mary Claire Jalonick, Joey Cappellletti and Eddie Pells | The Associated Press
CT Public — by Becky Sullivan

Read the original at CT Mirror

Related Coverage