Sen. Cruz Remarks on Senate Commerce Committee Advancing the Protect College Sports Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, delivered remarks as the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation advanced the Protect College Sports Act with overwhelming bipartisan support (19-9), sending the legislation to be considered by the full Senate.

Click here or on the image above to watch Sen. Cruz's remarks on the?Protect College Sports Act.

Please see below for Sen. Cruz's opening remarks as prepared for delivery:?

"For years, athletes, fans, and universities have watched the foundation of college athletics crumble. Court decisions, settlements, state laws, conference realignment, transfer disputes, NIL collectives, and uneven enforcement have all pushed college sports into a system where the rules are uncertain, the incentives are distorted, and the people with the least power are too often left exposed.

"Protect College Sports Act is a landmark, bipartisan bill that will preserve and strengthen our uniquely American system of college athletics. I want to thank Ranking Member Cantwell, Senator Eric Schmitt, and Senator Chris Coons, all of whom have spent months and years working to craft this legislation and build the bipartisan coalition behind it. I also want to thank members of this Committee who have contributed constructively to the process, including Senator Fischer for her work on the Super League prohibition. Similar concerns and amendments were raised by Senators Baldwin, Peters, Young, and Wicker, and we've listened and worked to address them. I also want to thank Senators Budd, Capito, Hickenlooper, and Rosen whose work has helped improve the bill before us today.

"No one got everything they wanted, but we did create a framework that stabilizes college athletics in the NIL and revenue-sharing era. The substitute we are considering reflects that work. It strengthens the bill, responds to concerns raised by members and stakeholders, and preserves the bipartisan agreement that brought us here.

"The new version includes a more balanced approach to the Super League issue. Rather than targeting any one conference or treating the SEC and Big Ten differently from everyone else, it focuses on the broader principles we are trying to protect: fair competition, broad opportunity, and a college sports system that remains open to more than a handful of the wealthiest programs.

"The new agreement also reflects the importance of Olympic sports. That is a major part of what this bill is about. College athletics is not only football and men's basketball. It is also swimming, wrestling, rowing, gymnastics, track and field, softball, and many other sports that create educational opportunities and help develop America's future Olympians and future leaders.

"That's because the greatest risk facing college athletics today is not any single controversy, court decision, or headline. The greatest threat to college sports is inaction.

"The laws enacted by past Congresses are the reason why the current system is growing more unstable. If Congress doesn't fix these laws and pass this bill, the cost of our failure will be measured not only in dollars or wins and losses. The cost of failure will be measured in opportunities. Opportunities to earn a scholarship, to compete, and to earn a college degree. Doing nothing means fewer chances for young athletes to represent their schools while building their futures.

"I know some say that because college athletics is so popular, Congress should not get involved. But high television ratings or rabid fan bases do not prove that the system is healthy. It just proves that the product is worth saving.

"Millions of Americans care deeply about college sports. They care about the athletes and the schools. They care about the rivalries and traditions that connect families, towns, campuses, and states.

"This is precisely why Congress cannot simply hope that the system will correct itself.

"Any serious solution must begin with reality. The NIL era is here. The Protect College Sports Act embraces this new environment, while establishing the rules necessary to end the chaos. Student athletes should be able to earn money from their name, image, and likeness.

"But a system that protects athletes also needs rules. Real NIL is not the same thing as a disguised recruiting payment. Revenue sharing is not the same thing as unlimited cap evasion. Athlete mobility is not the same thing as permanent roster free agency. And legal certainty does not mean a blank check.

"The Protect College Sports Act draws those lines.

"It protects legitimate NIL activity while distinguishing real endorsement deals from payments used to buy rosters.

"It protects scholarships, strengthens medical coverage, restores structure to transfers and eligibility, and protects athletes from inducements and tampering.

"Athletes get real NIL certainty, medical protections, academic and scholarship protections. Schools get enforceable rules and stability. Fans get stronger protections for rivalries, access to games, and fair competition.

"Let me give an analogy about where we are today.

"On the football field, punting on fourth down is often the prudent choice. But there are moments in the game when the stakes, the field position, and time left on the clock demand that you go for it.

'We have studied the challenges and seen the consequences of standing still. The future of college athletics is now in Congress's hands. We can sit in the stands and watch the system continue to unravel, or we can step onto the field and lead. I believe the moment calls for leadership.

"No more punting. We are in fourth-down territory. Time to go for it.

"I strongly urge my colleagues to support the Protect College Sports Act."

BACKGROUND:

As of today, 24 collegiate athletic conferences, 267 colleges and universities across 49 states and Washington, D.C., including historically black colleges and universities and current student-athletes, have all publicly supported and praised the Protect College Sports Act. Additional endorsements for the bill include: the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), the National Basketball Coaches Association, American Football Coaches Association, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Team USA Athletes' Commission (Team USA AC), and National Governing Body Council (NGBC).

To view the full list of supporters, click here.