The U.S. Senate passed a bill on Monday with a vote of 77 to 22, aiming to establish a national framework for the trading of names, images, and likenesses ( NIL ) in college sports. This is also one of the last actions the Senate will take before it adjourns from Washington later this week in preparation for the mid-term elections in 2026.

This legislation will enshrine the right of athletes to earn NIL income in law, and grant NCAA, various leagues, and schools a controversial antitrust exemption in order to enforce certain rules. This represents the latest step in years of efforts to advance the regulation of university sports funding.

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz ( Ted Cruz ) and Washington State Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell ( Maria Cantwell ) are leading the push for this bill. Both individuals serve as the top-ranking Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee, respectively. The bill is titled the "Protecting College Sports Act" ( Protect College Sports Act ). Currently, the bill has been sent to the House of Representatives, but its fate remains uncertain due to opposition from the Congressional Black Caucus ( Congressional Black Caucus ) as well as external groups including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP ).

In a post on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the passage of this bill is "a very significant event." Trump said, "This will not only save college sports but also save the colleges themselves."

The bill will tighten transfer rules, allowing players to transfer once without penalty; set a maximum eligibility period of five years; and increase the pool of revenue that schools can use to directly pay athletes, with up to 5 million dollars available for women's sports and Olympic events. These sports typically generate less revenue for schools than men's football and basketball.

Cruz said that this is a "milestone day" for college sports. He said, "The U.S. Senate vote protects hundreds of thousands of student athletes who currently participate in college sports competitions, millions more who will follow in their footsteps in the future, as well as every college sports fan who hopes to pass on this great American tradition to future generations."

About five years ago, a series of legal rulings prompted NCAA to suspend its long-standing policy that prohibited students from receiving compensation and relaxed the transfer rules. Since then, members of Congress have proposed numerous bills and held multiple hearings. These changes have ushered in a new era for college sports, allowing top athletes—especially in football and basketball—to transfer freely and earn millions of dollars in NIL contracts.

However, these new rules have also brought negative consequences. Smaller schools, female athletes, Olympic event participants, fans, and coaches have all complained that the dominant alliances are further consolidating their power. Legislators have been trying to respond, but previous attempts have repeatedly failed.

Previously, a similar bill known as the "SCORE Act" ("SCORE Act") was withdrawn from the House of Representatives' deliberation process due to opposition from the Congressional Black Caucus.

This group, which has more than 50 members in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, stated that it cannot support legislation that would benefit "major sports organizations," as these organizations "continue to remain silent at a time when the voting rights and political power of black people across the South are being systematically weakened." This statement was issued immediately following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that weakened certain provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

The Congressional Black Caucus also opposes the 'Protecting College Sports Act'. Other opponents, including Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut ( Chris Murphy ) from the Democratic Party, believe that the act will give NCAA and various leagues too much power at the expense of the players' interests.

Earlier this month, Murphy said at an online press conference, "The core of this bill is to protect an exploitative system. This bill protects the billions of dollars that coaches and high-ranking executives in the sports industry earn by suppressing the salaries of some of the world's most valuable athletes." He also said, "This bill attempts to grant an unprecedented antitrust exemption to an industry that violates the law every day."

With the Senate passing the bill before the midterms, it is unlikely that the House of Representatives will consider the bill before the "lame-duck" session after the November 3 elections. Cruz stated on Monday that he has been in contact with House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana ( Mike Johnson ), and believes that Johnson will call a vote on the measure in the House.

A House of Representatives source familiar with the matter requested anonymity to speak frankly. The source stated that it is "highly unlikely" for the House of Representatives to return to Washington to review this college sports bill.