Overview
Amid the chaotic transformation of college athletics in the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era, Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) have introduced a bill with the proclaimed goals of protecting student athletes and "promot[ing] fair competition among intercollegiate athletics."[1] In May, the SCORE Act, a House-led effort to regulate college athletics, was tabled because of political gridlock and concerns over the amount of authority that the Act gave to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and its top conferences.[2] Now, Senators Cruz and Cantwell have unveiled the Protect College Sports Act of 2026 (the Bill), which seeks to bring order to the college sports landscape by (1) providing antitrust protections to the NCAA; (2) addressing student-athlete movement, participation, and compensation while simultaneously protecting student-athletes from abuse; and (3) restricting coach movement.[3] Furthermore, the Bill mitigates against the formation of a "super league" by the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Big Ten.[4]
Seeking to return a measure of authority to the NCAA following the Supreme Court's decision in NCAA v. Alston,[5] the antitrust exemptions in the Bill would permit the NCAA to regulate athlete transfers and eligibility within certain parameters.[6] Additional antitrust exemptions would permit the NCAA conferences to pool media rights, provided that 75% of Football Bowl Subdivision schools agree to pooling.[7] Regarding student athletes, the Bill would require the NCAA, as a condition of the exemption, to allow student-athletes to transfer schools one time without penalty and a second time in exchange for the loss of a year of eligibility.[8] Furthermore, student-athlete eligibility would be capped at five years,[9] and schools would be barred from using booster collectives and multimedia partners to circumvent the revenue-sharing system.[10] Measures also exist in the Bill to protect student-athletes from abuse, including around scholarship guarantees and with regulations on sports agents.[11] Another key component of the Bill is the "Lane Kiffin rule," which restricts coaches from leaving prior to the season's conclusion[12]—a reference to a high-profile situation that occurred in November 2025 when football coach Lane Kiffin left the University of Mississippi before its playoff run to take a job coaching for Louisiana State University.[13] Finally, the Bill mitigates against the creation of a "super league" by prohibiting conferences that declare more than $1 billion in revenue on their 2025 tax returns (i.e., the SEC and Big Ten) from merging.[14]
Opinions are divided over the Protect College Sports Act, although numerous college sports stakeholders are supporting the Bill.[15] The White House and a majority of the members of the President's Roundtable on Fixing College Sports have advocated for the Bill's passage.[16] In a letter to Senators Cruz and Cantwell dated May 18, the President's Roundtable hailed the Bill as "an enormous step forward in fulfilling President Trump's directive and effort to Save College Sports."[17] Additionally, at a congressional hearing on June 3, the University of Alabama's legendary former coach Nick Saban expressed support for the Bill along with Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua.[18] Both coaches spoke in favor of regulating agent conduct and reforming the current revenue-sharing system—issues the Bill seeks to rectify.[19]
However, the Bill is not without its opponents. In a statement released on June 2, the SEC and Big Ten opposed the Bill, asserting that it "leaves critical issues unresolved."[20] The lack of support by these two behemoth conferences is unsurprising given that the Bill purports to limit their ability to compensate athletes and encourages sharing of their television revenues with smaller conferences.[21] Furthermore, athlete associations have criticized the Bill for limiting athlete compensation, movement, and eligibility.[22]
The Bill's future remains unclear, but if it passes, its antitrust exemptions would likely reimpose the NCAA's authority over college sports at a time when the Association's regulation of athletes, coaches, and member institutions is at a low point. For those frustrated by roster turnover in the era of the Transfer Portal, expect the NCAA and its member institutions to use the antitrust exemptions to curb athlete movement by penalizing students who seek multiple transfers. Enactment of the Bill could also make college athletics more closely resemble professional sports by permitting media pooling and restricting coaching movement.[23] However, perhaps most importantly for colleges and sports fans, the Bill seeks to create order in a college sports landscape that is currently unpredictable.
The future of the Protect College Sports Act is uncertain, but its introduction underscores a broader reality: the era of federal involvement in college athletics has arrived. As lawmakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders continue to debate the proper balance between athlete rights, institutional control, and competitive equity, colleges, conferences, and student-athletes alike will need to adapt to a rapidly evolving legal landscape. Steptoe's Sports Integrity Team will continue to monitor these developments and provide guidance on the legal and regulatory issues shaping the future of college sports.
[1] Protect College Sports Act of 2026, S. ___, 119th Cong. (2026).
[2] Justin Williams, A Bipartisan Senate Bill Is Coming to Stabilize College Sports. What's in It, and Will It Work?, The Athletic (May 27, 2026), https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7311989/2026/05/27/senate-college-sports-bill-cruz-cantwell/.
[3] Id.; Brandon Marcello, Bipartisan 'Protect College Sports Act' Proposes Salary Cap for Players, Antitrust Protection, NIL Regulation, CBS Sports (May 27, 2026), https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-sports-ted-cruz-maria-cantwell-bill-salary-cap-antitrust-protection-ncaa/.
[4] Williams, supra note 2.
[5] NCAA v. Alston, 594 U.S. 69, 107 (upholding the Ninth Circuit's holding that the NCAA's compensation restrictions on student athletes violated antitrust law).
[6] Protect College Sports Act of 2026, S. ___, 119th Cong. § 118 (2026).
[7] Williams, supra note 2.
[8] Protect College Sports Act of 2026, S. ___, 119th Cong. § 112 (2026).
[9] Protect College Sports Act of 2026, S. ___, 119th Cong. § 113 (2026).
[10] Marcello, supra note 3.
[11] Protect College Sports Act of 2026, S. ___, 119th Cong. §§ 102, 105 (2026).
[12] Marcello, supra note 3.
[13] Williams, supra note 2.
[14] Williams, supra note 2; Protect College Sports Act of 2026, S. ___, 119th Cong. § 205 (2026).
[15] Letter from Members of the President's Roundtable on Fixing College Sports to Sens. Cruz & Cantwell (May 18, 2026) [hereinafter Letter]; Austin Nivison, Nick Saban, Notre Dame AD Back Protect College Sports Act as Congress Targets NIL Reform, CBS Sports (June 3, 2026), https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/protect-college-sports-act-nick-saban-congress-nil-reform/.
[16] Williams, supra note 2.
[17] Letter, supra note 15.
[18] Nivison, supra note 15.
[19] Id.
[20] Krutik Jain, Why Are SEC and Big Ten Against the Protect College Sports Act? Features and Issues Explained, College Sports Network (June 2, 2026), https://collegefootballnetwork.com/why-sec-big-ten-protect-college-sports-act-features-issues-explained/.
[21] Id.
[22] Ross Dellenger, Explainer: Everything You Need to Know About the 'Protect College Sports Act,' Including Whether Bill Has Chance to Pass, Yahoo Sports (June 2, 2026), https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-protect-college-sports-act-including-whether-bill-has-chance-to-pass-132539375.html.
[23] Williams, supra note 2.
