Senators Cruz and Cantwell to Introduce Bipartisan College Sports Bill

Sens. , plan to introduce a bipartisan bill to regulate payments to college athletes, limit transfers, and restrict midseason coaching changes. The legislation, called the Protect College Sports Act, would grant targeted antitrust protection to the NCAA and the College Sports Commission.

In return, it would require health insurance and scholarship guarantees plus stricter rules on third-party NIL deals.

Players would be restricted to one unrestricted transfer during their college careers. The bill would also adopt a five-year eligibility window similar to an NCAA proposal expected next month. Midseason coaching moves would be prohibited. Cruz said the restriction mirrors an NFL rule that prevents teams from hiring coaches away from competitors during the season.

The bill would amend the Sports Broadcasting Act to let conferences pool television rights. Conferences that participate would be required to direct a portion of any revenue increase to women's and Olympic sports.

The measure combines elements of two earlier proposals that stalled. Cantwell said the bill takes a neutral position on whether athletes should be classified as employees. Mit Winter, a Missouri attorney specializing in sports law, said the broad scope of the bill could face resistance from schools and the NCAA over collective bargaining issues.