The Protect College Sports Act would allow the NCAA to enforce different rules surrounding the use of athletes’ names, images, and likenesses.
Members of the Senate Commerce Committee released a bill to address issues surrounding college athletes and the use of their names, images, and likenesses (NIL). The “Protect College Sports Act,” introduced by Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Maria Cantwell of Washington, would allow the NCAA to enforce several rules that have been litigated in court in recent years.
Senator Cruz stated, “Student athletes can profit from their name, image, and likeness, but college sports still needs real rules, competitive balance, rivalries, and a true connection to education.” He added that the legislation “protects athletes and fans and keeps college sports from becoming a two-conference minor league.”
Senator Cantwell stated, “This bill puts new tools and new rules on the table to rein in runaway costs while still preserving NIL, revenue sharing, and women and Olympic sports.”
The proposal would restrict college athletes to only one school transfer without penalty, limit an athlete’s eligibility to five years, ban former professional athletes from playing in college leagues, and prohibit schools from hiring a new coach during their sport’s season. It would also grant the NCAA and the College Sports Commission the legal authority to enforce a spending cap for how much colleges can pay their athletes.
While other bills of this type have previously been introduced, this legislation has the best chance of passing in both the House and Senate. The panel is expected to hold hearings to mark up the bill this month. President Trump has urged legislators to send him a bill on this matter this year.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Senators Cruz and Cantwell as they markup the bill with their committee.
- For members of Congress as they deliberate on this act and its provisions.
- For President Trump as he encourages federal legislators to pass the measure.
Sources: Roll Call, ESPN
