Protect College Sports Act moves to US Senate floor

The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, also known as the SAFE Act, cleared the Senate Commerce Committee with a 19‑9 vote and is now headed to the full Senate for a vote, likely this summer. Sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz (R‑TX) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D‑WA), the bill seeks to overhaul college‑sports governance, introduce revenue‑sharing provisions of up to 27% of media and ticket sales for athletes, and address compensation, collective‑bargaining and employment questions in the NIL era.

Support for the proposal includes several major NCAA conferences, former Alabama coach Nick Saban and former President Donald Trump, while opposition comes from conferences such as the Big Ten and SEC, as well as the Congressional Black Caucus and parts of the House GOP. The legislation would replace the current NCAA Board of Governors with a new enforcement system and set uniform program standards for all Division I schools. If enacted, it could reshape the multibillion‑dollar college‑sports industry by providing direct financial benefits to student‑athletes and altering the balance between wealthy Power‑Five conferences and smaller programs.