Senate passes ‘Protect College Sports Act’ with sweeping bipartisan vote

The US Senate has passed the "Protect College Sports Act" with a bipartisan vote of 77-22. The bill aims to address concerns about fairness and equity in college sports and bolster the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) power to enforce its rules. According to Front Office Sports, it was introduced in May by Senators Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell, Eric Schmitt, and Chris Coons.

The legislation seeks to establish a federal framework for college athletics to protect student athletes. Its supporters, including the NCAA, say it will bring stability to the collegiate sports landscape, which has been marked by a "Wild West" era of litigation over rules around eligibility, transfers, and pay. The bill's provisions include codifying name, image, and likeness rights for college athletes, implementing measures to limit circumvention, and imposing restrictions on agents and coaching transfers.

The outlook for the legislation in the House is uncertain, according to The New York Times. This was one of the last congressional actions before the midterms. CBS News reports that some Democrats argued the bill could have the opposite effect of protecting student athletes.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hill, CBS News, NPR, The New York Times, Front Office Sports — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.