Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell introduced a bipartisan bill that would drastically overhaul college sports operations, according to congressional documents.
The Protect College Sports Act addresses transfer rules, coaching restrictions, and revenue sharing after coaches and administrators called for government intervention to curb changes in the NIL era.
Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt and Delaware Sen. Chris Coons helped craft the legislation.
Transfer Restrictions
The bill would limit athletes to one penalty-free transfer. A second transfer would require sitting out one season, with exceptions for coaching changes.
Congress included a “narrow antitrust exemption” for the NCAA, The Athletic reports. This aims to protect the organization from lawsuits challenging transfer rules.
The NCAA has lost numerous court cases related to eligibility rules. Those losses restricted the organization’s ability to control transfers and prevent professional players from returning to college.
Coaching Movement Rules
The legislation includes what’s being called the “Lane Kiffin rule.” This would prevent coaches from leaving their teams before the season ends.
Eligibility Changes
Athletes would have a five-year eligibility window under the new rules. Professional athletes couldn’t return to college sports.
The NCAA recently said it’s considering implementing a five-year competition window with age-based limits.
NIL Enforcement
The 2025 House settlement allowed revenue sharing and spending caps on players. Schools have skirted those rules by redirecting money to supposed third-party organizations who then pay players through NIL deals.
The bill gives the College Sports Commission more power to enforce policies prohibiting third-party organizations from avoiding spending rules.
The spending cap can increase to ensure athletes aren’t prevented from maximizing earnings.
Conference Restrictions
Any conference “earning more than $1 billion in revenue on its 2025 tax returns” couldn’t merge with another conference, Yahoo Sports reports.
That language targets the Big Ten and SEC. It’s designed to prevent either conference from breaking off and forming a “super league.”
Media Rights Pooling
Conferences could voluntarily pool their media rights to create more revenue. Rights can only be pooled if at least 75 percent of FBS schools agree.
The financial implications mean there likely wouldn’t be a path forward without Big Ten and SEC approval.
Schools would need to re-establish regional rivalries in some cases if rights are pooled.
What Happens Next
The Protect College Sports Act has only been introduced by the senators. The bipartisan nature gives it some hope for traction, but it needs 60 Senate votes and full congressional approval before reaching President Trump’s desk.
Changes could be made along the way.
Congress has previously considered other bills overhauling college sports, but none came particularly close to passing.
