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Senate to Vote on Protect College Sports Act This Week

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 4:51 PM UTC · How we work

Center

Thune curtails amendments

The U.S. Senate will vote this week on the Protect College Sports Act, giving the NCAA broad antitrust protections and national rules for athletes.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune moved to restrict amendments, limiting debate on the bill.
The Senate committee released updated bill adding a five-year eligibility window and one free transfer.
Schools provide health insurance during and five years after scholarships, boosting revenue pool to $21.6 million.

Right

Strategic NIL cap

The U.S. Senate will vote this week on the Protect College Sports Act, granting the NCAA antitrust protections.
Republicans present the bill as a strategic win restoring order to college sports before the midterms.
The bill would cap school payments to athletes for name, image and likeness rights.
Tommy Tuberville and Jon Husted introduced TEAM USA Act, urging colleges to favor American athletes.

History

Historical Context

In 2014 Judge Claudia Wilken ruled in O'Bannon v. NCAA that the association’s athlete-compensation limits violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and imposed a $5,000 annual trust-fund cap per player. The 2021 Supreme Court Alston decision later broadened that ruling, eroding NCAA amateurism rules. The Protect College Sports Act now proposes federal antitrust immunity for the NCAA while preserving the same NIL cap.

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Thune curtails amendments

The U.S. Senate will vote this week on the Protect College Sports Act, giving the NCAA broad antitrust protections and national rules for athletes.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune moved to restrict amendments, limiting debate on the bill.
The Senate committee released updated bill adding a five-year eligibility window and one free transfer.
Schools provide health insurance during and five years after scholarships, boosting revenue pool to $21.6 million.

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