WASHINGTON — A bipartisan bill to set national standards for college athletes’ compensation has cleared a major legislative hurdle but still faces roadblocks, including opposition from the largest college sports conferences, to becoming law.
The bill, which supporters say would “restore order in college athletics” after a chaotic few years following an explosion of payments to athletes, advanced 19-9 out of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in mid-June and can now make its way to the Senate floor.
The bill’s support from senators of both parties, a host of college sports organizations and President Donald Trump — who has called the bill “the last chance to save College Sports” — presents perhaps the best chance of federal policy to address issues resulting from the NCAA’s 2021 guidelines that allowed student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, or NIL.
But the measure is up against opposition from the powerful Big Ten and Southeastern conferences, and faces a narrow legislative window as Congress rushes toward its summer recess and the fall campaign season.
The Commerce Committee’s top members, Republican Chair Ted Cruz of Texas and ranking Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state, introduced the bill with GOP Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri and Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware as co-sponsors.
The legislation is the latest congressional push to overhaul the college sports landscape, which continues to grapple with a patchwork of state NIL laws, gender inequity in NIL deals and the NCAA’s controversial transfer portal, among other issues.
‘Too many variables’
Just two Republicans — Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Todd Young of Indiana — voted against advancing the bill out of committee.
Seven Democrats joined them: Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Gary Peters of Michigan, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Andy Kim of New Jersey and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware.
On the Senate floor, the bipartisan bill will need at least 60 senators to advance past the legislative filibuster.
One of the bill’s opponents, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, told States Newsroom the measure would too heavily involve the federal government in issues best left to conferences and athletic departments.
“It’s got too many variables that the federal government get involved, and we don’t need the federal government involved at all,” he said.
The Alabama Republican and former SEC champion football coach said Congress should address eligibility and the transfer portal but that the rest should be left up to the college sports conferences.
Tuberville introduced his own bill in March aimed at tackling those two issues.
“The federal government doesn’t need to be in scheduling and conference alignments and 20-member commissions and all that,” he said. “That’s Obamacare 2.0 is what it is.”
Opposition from Big Ten, SEC
The bill has also so far failed to garner the backing of the Big Ten and the SEC, who said their input was not “adequately reflected” in the latest version of the bill.
Schmitt, an original co-sponsor of the bill who was closely involved in its crafting, told States Newsroom he’s had “a lot of conversations” with Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, and respects their input, when asked about concerns on the two conferences’ lack of support so far.
“We’re going to continue to work on it, and see if we can’t get their support, so I’m committed to that,” the Missouri Republican added.
A competing bill to address college athletes’ compensation is stalled in the House after it was yanked from the voting schedule in May following unanimous opposition from the Congressional Black Caucus.
The influential Democratic bloc rallied behind the NAACP’s call to push back against GOP-led redistricting efforts in Southern states via college sports, including a boycott of public universities by athletes and supporters.
Trump support
But the measure has already drawn the praise and support of at least two dozen collegiate athletic conferences, along with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the National Governing Bodies Council and the Team USA Athletes’ Commission.
Crucially, Trump has also backed the measure, which he said “may be the last chance to save College Sports, and Colleges themselves, before it’s too late,” in a June social media post.
Trump urged the House and Senate “to come together to pass a final Bipartisan Law, that I can sign this summer, that reflects the views and input of both Chambers.”
National standard
Among the major changes, the Senate bill would create a national NIL standard that preempts state laws, provide certain antitrust protections to the NCAA and establish a five-year eligibility timeline for athletes.
The latest version of the measure also tacks on additional protections for women’s and Olympic sports and would require major institutions to maintain at least as many scholarship opportunities and roster spots for non-revenue-generating sports each year as they provided in the 2024-2025 academic year.
The bill also prevents football coaches from leaving mid-season to coach another program. Athletes would also be guaranteed one transfer without losing eligibility.
