The NCAA advanced one step closer to implementing its President Trump-aligned rule changes this week as the U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act of 2026 in a 77-22 vote. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), followed months of pressure from President Trump for sweeping adjustments to college athletics that would restrict transfers, payments, and eligibility requirements for student-athletes.
Trump hailed the Senate passage as “a really big deal,” declaring: “It will not only save college sports, it will save the colleges themselves.” He also congratulated Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees, on a job well done. The bill’s provisions include prohibiting schools from restricting student-athletes’ name, image, and likeness agreements and requiring disclosure of compensation exceeding $600. It limits student-athletes to one transfer during eligibility or mandates a year-long sit-out for additional transfers.
Under the law, student-athletes would begin five calendar years of eligibility at age 19 or upon full-time college enrollment, whichever comes first. Football personnel are barred from becoming head coaches at different institutions during the same season. The bill also grants Division 1 conferences protections against reducing varsity sports teams and caps school spending on athletes at $50 million annually.
The legislation faces potential delays in the House and may not become law until after midterm elections. However, the NCAA has touted the act as a way to “level the playing field” nationwide while protecting women’s sports and Olympic competitions. Critics argue it shields exploitative practices. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) stated: “What this bill does, at its core, is protect a system of exploitation.” Similarly, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said the legislation serves “the large, wealthy interests that have been controlling college sports for a long time.”
The Big Ten Conference expressed support for the passage, stating: “We look forward to the next steps to passage as we continue to support the act as passed by the Senate.”
