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Cruz predicts College Sports Act passes; cloture still pending

8/5/2026

28 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Senator Ted Cruz says the Protect College Sports Act will pass this week.
The Big Ten and SEC endorsed the bill Friday, improving its prospects.
Majority Leader John Thune has not filed cloture, so a vote before the August 7 recess is unlikely.
The text caps revenue-share at $48.8 million, creates a $22.5 million retention pool, allocates $5 million for women’s sports, limits conferences to 19, and permits schools to pool media-rights sales.

History

Historical Context

The 1984 NCAA v. Board of Regents ruling ended the TV monopoly, leading to Notre Dame’s 1991 NBC deal and the SEC’s 1996 CFA break, which paved the way for the 2010 $1.5 billion ESPN contract that gave the Big Ten $300 million. Senator Ted Cruz’s Protect College Sports Act, backed by the Big Ten and SEC, caps conference revenue at $48.8 million and creates a $22.5 million retention pool.

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Story summary

Senator Ted Cruz says the Protect College Sports Act will pass this week.
The Big Ten and SEC endorsed the bill Friday, improving its prospects.
Majority Leader John Thune has not filed cloture, so a vote before the August 7 recess is unlikely.
The text caps revenue-share at $48.8 million, creates a $22.5 million retention pool, allocates $5 million for women’s sports, limits conferences to 19, and permits schools to pool media-rights sales.

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