Senate Passes Bill Strengthening American College Athletics System

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After years of litigation, conflicting state laws and uncertainty over Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules, player transfers, and athlete eligibility, the Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act today by a vote of 77 to 22, establishing a national framework designed to bring stability and predictability to college athletics. The landmark bill, which now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration, will create a uniform set of rules governing collegiate athletics, including NIL compensation and antitrust disputes.

The Protect College Sports Act is designed to provide schools with clear, enforceable standards while helping protect scholarships and opportunities across college sports. More than 370 colleges and universities nationwide support the bill, including the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), who voted in favor of the legislation, said, "The Protect College Sports Act gives schools and student-athletes certainty. College sports should be about being in college-not creating a professional minor league. We are trying to protect what most of us who grew up with college sports know: for the vast majority, college athletics is a pathway to an education, while only a very small number go on to make it a career. We're talking about students and their futures, and that's something worth coming together for."

The legislation also has broad support across college athletics and professional sports, including 32 collegiate athletic conferences, 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 United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Team USA Athletes' Commission, the FBS Athletics Directors Association, the American Football Coaches Association, and National Governing Body Council (NGBC).