Story perspectives

Senate set to approve Protect College Sports Act 70-0

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 10:26 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The U.S. Senate is set to approve the Protect College Sports Act with 70 votes.
The bill grants the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption to set eligibility and transfer rules.
It lifts the revenue-sharing cap to about $50 million per school.
Schools may draw $22.5 million from a retention fund and $5 million for women’s/Olympic sports.
Opponents including Senators Cory Booker, Chris Murphy and the NAACP warn the bill erodes athletes’ rights.

History

Historical Context

In the 1950s the NCAA monopolized college-football TV rights, prompting major schools to form the College Football Association in 1977. The Supreme Court’s 1984 decision in NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma struck down that control, allowing schools to negotiate $1.2 billion of contracts. Today the Senate’s Protect College Sports Act caps revenue sharing at about $50 million per school.

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Story summary

The U.S. Senate is set to approve the Protect College Sports Act with 70 votes.
The bill grants the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption to set eligibility and transfer rules.
It lifts the revenue-sharing cap to about $50 million per school.
Schools may draw $22.5 million from a retention fund and $5 million for women’s/Olympic sports.
Opponents including Senators Cory Booker, Chris Murphy and the NAACP warn the bill erodes athletes’ rights.

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