Sen. Cruz Applauds Overwhelming Senate Passage of Legislation to Protect College Sports

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, applauded Senate passage of the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act by a vote of 77-22. Chairman Cruz introduced the legislation with U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to end the chaos and uncertainty plaguing college sports and provide student athletes, fans, schools, and coaches with desperately needed relief. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration. Once passed by the House, it will be sent to President Trump's desk for his signature.

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

Sen. Cruz said, "Today is a monumental day for college athletics. The United States Senate voted to protect the hundreds of thousands of student athletes currently competing in college sports, the millions who will follow in their footsteps, and every college sports fan who wants to preserve this great American tradition for generations to come. After years of discussions and months of intense deliberations, we achieved what many said was impossible and succeeded in getting the Protect College Sports Act through the Senate with a huge bipartisan vote. I am proud of our success, and I trust the House of Representatives will remain focused on bringing stability to college sports by delivering the Protect College Sports Act to President Trump's desk without delay."

BACKGROUND:

The Protect College Sports Act, introduced in May of this year, embraces the new era of NIL by codifying and protecting the rights of student athletes to earn money from their name, image, and likeness, while establishing the rules necessary to end the chaos plaguing college athletics.

In addition to Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.).

On June 12^th, Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and Senator Coons hosted a roundtable with coaches, student athletes, and university presidents. The bill was then advanced in June by the Senate Commerce Committee with a strong vote of 19-9.

With the support of 32 collegiate athletic conferences and more than 380 colleges and universities across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the legislation sailed through the Senate over the course of September. Additional endorsements for the bill include: the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the?National Hockey League (NHL), the?National Basketball Association (NBA), the players associations for the NFL and the NBA, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), FBS Athletics Directors Association, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Team USA Athletes' Commission (Team USA AC), and National Governing Body Council (NGBC).

Student athletes, coaches, professors, and presidents from universities and colleges across the country have rallied behind the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act. They have written op-eds, participated in a wide variety of interviews, and even came to Washington, D.C., to urge Congress to pass this legislation.

On September 14^th, Chairman Cruz hosted a press conference with more than 30 student athletes and coaches from across the country. President Trump and the Executive Office of the President also emphatically support the legislation.

A national survey found that 81% of Americans believe the Protect College Sports Act would do more to protect student athletes and preserve women's and Olympic sports programs. Additionally, 77% of Americans say the bill maintains these opportunities by creating ways to distribute revenue more broadly across athletic programs, including for women's sports.