College Sports Just Got Its Biggest Washington Shakeup Yet

The Senate has approved the Protect College Sports Act by a 77-22 vote, sending a sweeping rewrite of college athletics rules to the House. Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Washington Democrat Sen. Maria Cantwell led the effort. Cruz said college sports were "headed off a cliff" and urged the House to get the bill to President Trump before Election Day, according to Daily Wire.

Schools could spend far more directly on athletes: the ceiling would climb from about $21 million under recent court settlements to $48 million per school. Third-party name, image and likeness deals stay legal, but any contract above $600 would go into a public database, aimed at stopping boosters from sidestepping caps. The NCAA would receive an antitrust exemption to restrict transfers, with one penalty-free move, and agents would register and be limited to 5% fees. Other provisions give athletes a decade of scholarship support after their playing days to complete degrees, and require Division I schools to cover injury-related medical bills for five years.

State bans on transgender-identifying male athletes in women's sports are left untouched. Critics, including women's sports activists, fear the NCAA exemption could expand the association's power over eligibility, citing a federal judge's dismissal of Riley Gaines's suit against the NCAA on Title IX grounds. The House is out until November 9, after the midterms. The Congressional Black Caucus opposes the bill, Freedom Caucus members are expected to object, and any changes would return it to the Senate.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Daily Wire’s reporting. Read the full story at Daily Wire →