'I need to post my Undertaker meme. We’re back from the dead!' — Protect College Sports Act passes first major hurdle, but obstacles remain

The Protect College Sports Act, backed by senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, passed its first major hurdle in the U.S. Senate with a decisive 74-24 vote on Tuesday. This provision, Section 205, makes it more difficult for schools to change conferences, capping power conference membership at 19 schools and requiring moving schools to serve a five-year probationary period.

This provision has faced resistance from schools like Florida State, Miami, Clemson, North Carolina, and Stanford. However, the bill has already garnered significant support, with only 60 votes required to move forward. Florida lawmakers Ashley Moody and Rick Scott, along with South Carolina senators Tim Scott and Darline Graham, were among the few Republicans who voted against the bill.

Despite the opposition, the landslide vote indicates overwhelming support for the act, which aims to re-implement the NCAA's transfer exception, establish a five-year eligibility standard, increase athlete revenue-sharing payments to approximately $48 million per school, and create an agent registry with pay caps. While the Senate passage is historic, the bill still faces challenges in the House, where leadership has expressed skepticism and recessed for the month.

However, supporters believe the House will take up the bill before the midterms, and President Trump has communicated his strong backing for the legislation.