Senate passes major bill to overhaul college sports

The Senate approved a sweeping college athletics bill on Monday by a 77-22 bipartisan margin. The Protect College Sports Act would create national rules governing how athletes earn money from their name, image and likeness. It now goes to the House, which is out until after the November midterms, and it is unclear whether members there will support it. The Congressional Black Caucus has said it opposes the measure. President Donald Trump has urged Congress to deliver it to him, according to CNN · PBS NewsHour.

Beyond giving the NCAA authority to regulate player pay, the bill restricts athletes to one transfer, sets a five-year eligibility standard, and lets conferences negotiate television contracts collectively while capping conference membership at 19 teams. The NCAA and leading conferences back it. Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas senator who chairs the Commerce Committee and sponsored it, says it brings order to a chaotic landscape and protects athletes' right to revenue sharing and genuine compensation. Sen. Maria Cantwell, the lead Democratic co-sponsor, says it will curb runaway spending so schools can put money toward education and research.

Opponents include the National College Players Association, the NAACP and the AFL-CIO, who say antitrust exemptions favor schools and the NCAA over athletes. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat, called it protection of "a system of exploitation." The players association also warns that a provision letting schools "cure" a violation within 30 days could keep athletes from suing over sexual abuse, catastrophic injury or death.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CNN · PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at CNN · PBS NewsHour →