Senate Pushes Forward Corporate-Friendly College Sports Act Despite House Doubts
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In a move favoring entrenched interests, the Senate voted 77-23 to advance the Protect College Sports Act, with a final procedural vote looming next week. The bill’s fate in the House remains uncertain as critics highlight its failure to protect student-athletes’ rights and address systemic inequities.
On Thursday, the U.S. Senate advanced the Protect College Sports Act, passing the second of three procedural hurdles with a 77-23 vote—well above the simple majority threshold. The sprawling 150-page legislation claims to regulate college athletics but, in reality, offers only incremental reforms: a one-time transfer exception, a five-year eligibility limit, increased revenue-share payments, and an agent certification system. These measures fall short of addressing the deep exploitation and lack of true compensation faced by student-athletes, who generate billions for universities and corporate sponsors.
Lawmakers made superficial changes to the bill’s expansion provision, reducing the independent probationary period for power-conference schools switching leagues from five to three years, and ending probation after six years. The cap on power-conference membership at 19 schools—an arbitrary limit that protects elite institutions—remains untouched.
Senators Tommy Tuberville and Alex Padilla, who initially opposed the bill, switched their votes after the amendment, illustrating the transactional nature of Senate politics. Co-author Eric Schmitt boasted about the vote count, while Democratic co-author Maria Cantwell cited a report exposing taxpayer money being siphoned to athletic departments, calling the bill 'historic'—though it does little to redirect those funds to the athletes themselves.
The Senate is poised for a third procedural vote as early as Tuesday, with final passage possible Thursday. Yet, the House of Representatives may not even consider the bill until after the November midterms, reflecting the lack of urgency for real reform. President Donald Trump, ever eager to score political points, praised the Senate vote and pushed House leaders to act before the election.
Opponents such as Senator Cory Booker have rightly criticized the bill for imposing unnecessary restrictions on athletes and failing to guarantee fair compensation. Some ACC schools also raised concerns about the expansion provision, but a weak compromise was enough to secure bipartisan support from those unwilling to challenge the status quo.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has made clear that further amendments are unlikely, signaling that this inadequate bill could become law as soon as next week—another missed opportunity to put student-athletes and equity first.