College sports bill passes US Senate in 72-22 vote

The US Senate voted 72-22 on Monday to approve a federal college sports bill that would regulate how universities pay athletes, restrict transfers and give the NCAA limited protection from antitrust lawsuits.

The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act now goes to the House of Representatives. The House is already in recess until after the November 3 midterm elections, leaving limited time for Congress to finish work before a new legislature takes office in January.

The legislation follows years of changes in US college athletics, including athletes gaining the right to profit from their names and images and a 2025 court settlement that allowed universities to pay players directly.

The bill would set national rules for those payments and allow schools to spend nearly $50 million a year through revenue-sharing and other funds. Athletes would generally be allowed one transfer without sitting out a season, and agents' fees would be capped at five percent.

It also includes longer-term scholarship and healthcare protections and seeks to protect women's and Olympic sports.

President Donald Trump's administration has endorsed the legislation. Trump said on Truth Social that it would "not only save college sports, it will save the colleges themselves."

Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican co-sponsor, said student athletes deserved pay, protections and a fair chance to compete.

The bill has divided Democrats and drawn opposition from racial equality activists, labor unions and the Congressional Black Caucus. Critics say its antitrust protections give too much power back to the NCAA, limit athletes' legal rights and leave unresolved whether college players should be treated as employees entitled to collective bargaining.