Senate Set for Final Vote on Bipartisan College Sports Bill

The Senate is scheduled to hold a final vote Monday on the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan measure led by Sens. Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell. The legislation would establish federal standards for compensating college athletes, limit transfers and midseason coaching changes, and set a five-year eligibility window.

The bill would also grant the NCAA limited antitrust protections to enforce the new rules. More than 70 senators from both parties support the measure, which aims to end litigation and uncertainty following a 2025 lawsuit settlement that allowed schools to pay players directly.

“It would be nice if college sports could somehow magically fix itself, but this is a matter of law, federal law, and only Congress can fix it.”

Sen. Chris Murphy and labor groups oppose the bill, arguing it enshrines a system of exploitation and fails to address massive coaching salaries. The White House endorsed the legislation last month, though its prospects in the House remain uncertain after that chamber failed to advance similar bills over the past year.

Separately, Republicans are targeting a procedural vote this week on the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would mitigate data centers' impact on electricity bills. Democratic support for that measure is unclear. Speaker Mike Johnson and President Trump are also set to meet with AI executives on Tuesday.