Washington DC - The Senate on Monday approved a new federal framework for college sports, voting 72–22 to bring order to an extremely popular multibillion-dollar industry.
The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act would regulate how universities pay athletes, restrict transfers, and give the governing National Collegiate Athletic Association limited protection from antitrust lawsuits.
The vote was one of the Senate's last major legislative acts before lawmakers leave Washington to campaign for the November 3 midterm elections.
The bill now goes to the House of Representatives, which is already in recess until after Election Day. That leaves only a narrow window for Congress to complete work before a new legislature takes office in January.
President Donald Trump's administration has endorsed the legislation, the 80-year-old leader himself cheering the bill's passage on Monday night.
"The Protect College Sport Act just passed in the US Senate by a vote of 77–22," Trump announced in a raving post to Truth Social. "This is a really big deal. It will not only save college sports, it will save the colleges themselves."
"Congratulations to Randy Levine, President of the New York Yankees, and all of those who worked with him, on a job well done!" he said.
The legislation would establish national rules governing those payments and allow schools to spend nearly $50 million annually through revenue-sharing and other funds.
Athletes would generally be allowed one transfer without sitting out a season, while agents' fees would be capped at 5%.
"Student athletes deserve to get paid. They deserve real protections. And high school athletes deserve a fair shot to compete," said Senator Ted Cruz, who cosponsored the bill.
"The Protect College Sports Act delivers that while protecting women's and Olympic sports and preserving the game we love for generations to come."