Protect College Sports Act Advances with Congressional and Trump Support

The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, introduced on May 27, was co‑authored by Senators Maria Cantwell (D‑WA), Ted Cruz (R‑TX), Eric Schmitt (R‑MO) and Chris Coons (D‑DE). The 111‑page bill seeks to stabilize college athletics by safeguarding student‑athlete rights, establishing nationwide NIL standards, expanding medical coverage, protecting women’s and Olympic sports, and amending the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act to allow schools to jointly negotiate media rights.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey met with Sen. Cruz and expressed lingering questions about the legislation, particularly Title I provisions on athlete protections and Title II’s media‑rights pooling. Sankey said, “There’s no law that’s perfect,” but praised the “very healthy” dialogue with lawmakers.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed the bill on June 4, calling it a “last chance” to save college sports and urging Congress to pass it quickly so he could sign it into law. He warned that the sport is in “total chaos” and emphasized the need to preserve its traditional role.

Lawmakers argue the act would restore competitive balance, protect smaller programs, and prevent a shift toward an unregulated professional system.