Senate Protect College Sports Act Faces Racial Equity Criticism
The U. S. Senate on September 18 advanced the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act amid fresh criticism that the bill could disadvantage Black athletes, NAACP leader Derrick Johnson and Senator Chris Murphy said, while former NBA player Craig Robinson defended the legislation as protecting educational outcomes, Fox News reported.
The measure, sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, had already cleared two procedural votes in the Senate, winning 77-22 support after the chamber softened conference-realignment provisions, and earlier a lone Republican, Senator Tommy Tuberville, had opposed the bill. Cruz had previously promoted the bill on ESPN’s College GameDay in Austin, where he was booed by the crowd, and the Senate’s earlier votes were reported by NBC Sports and other outlets.
