Senate Defeats Ticket-Price Cap Amendment for College Sports

The Senate voted Monday evening to reject an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) that would have limited ticket-price increases for college sporting events to four percent annually. The amendment fell 42-54, short of the 60 votes required for passage.

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Kennedy’s proposal was attached to the Protect College Sports Act, a broader bill aimed at overhauling compensation, recruitment and eligibility rules for college athletes. He argued that without price controls, fans—who generate the revenue for college athletics—bear the brunt of rising costs. The amendment sought to protect fan affordability amid soaring ticket prices for marquee games.

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• Axios reported that average college-football ticket prices climbed from $59 in 2015 to $129 in 2025.

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• Sports Illustrated noted that game-day ticket costs at the University of Texas rose more than 45 % over the previous year, while the University of Tennessee saw increases exceeding 60 %.

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• The Daily Iowan recorded an average price of $73 for a Big Ten football game in 2024 and $225 for Northwestern University games.

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Sen. Kennedy emphasized on the Senate floor that fans “make college athletics possible” and have received “nothing” in return, warning that ticket prices can jump 30-40 % in a single season. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.)

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• “Who makes college athletics possible? Who generates all of this cash flow? The fans. And we’ve done nothing for them. Zero,” — Sen. John Kennedy

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These statements capture the central arguments of the amendment’s proponents and opponents as the Senate declined to impose a nationwide cap on college-sports ticket price growth.

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