A major bipartisan bill to overhaul college athletics nationwide passed the Senate, clearing a key hurdle and setting up a potentially divisive political showdown in the House of Representatives.
The chamber passed the Protect College Sports Act, which aims to rein in compensation for student-athletes and place new limits on transfers, on Monday, Sept. 28. The vote was 77-22.
The success of the measure — arguably the most significant piece of legislation the Senate will pass before recessing until the midterms — marked a moment of significant progress for a yearslong push by lawmakers to intervene in college sports regulation.
"The most important part of the bill is bringing order to chaos," said Cruz, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. "College sports is the Wild West. There are essentially no rules."