# Senators Cruz, Cantwell unveil bipartisan college sports reform bill  
**Published:** 2026-05-28T21:12:38.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/28/repub/bipartisan-deal-floated-on-college-athletes-name-image-and-likeness-legislation/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/senators-cruz-cantwell-unveil-bipartisan-college-sports-reform-bill

[A pair of U.S. senators reached a bipartisan agreement on sweeping legislation aimed at restoring stability to college athletics](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/28/repub/bipartisan-deal-floated-on-college-athletes-name-image-and-likeness-legislation/), addressing the turmoil created by athlete compensation rules and transfer portal chaos. The bill, titled the [Protect College Sports Act of 2026](https://www.commerce.senate.gov/press/rep/release/cruz-cantwell-schmitt-coons-strike-agreement-to-save-college-sports/), was unveiled this week by GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state, the top members of the Senate Commerce Committee.

The legislation creates a national standard for college athletes' name, image and likeness compensation while establishing an antitrust exemption for the NCAA to enforce eligibility and transfer rules. [The bill would guarantee athletes one transfer without losing eligibility](https://www.commerce.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Section-by-Section_Protect-College-Sports-Act.pdf) and [bar coaches from leaving mid-season](https://www.kxxv.com/sports/ncaa-transfer-portal-rules-nil-could-change-under-new-bipartisan-senate-bill). It also preempts the patchwork of state NIL laws and establishes a five-year eligibility timeline for athletes.

Cruz said the bill "protects athletes and fans and keeps college sports from becoming a two-conference minor league." Cantwell noted the legislation "puts new tools and new rules on the table to rein in runaway costs while still preserving NIL, revenue sharing" and women's and Olympic sports. GOP Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri and Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware also co-sponsored the bill.

The action comes as [a federal judge approved a nearly $2.8 billion antitrust settlement](https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/45467505/judge-grants-final-approval-house-v-ncaa-settlement) in 2025 that cleared the way for schools to directly pay athletes. This development followed years of upheaval sparked by the NCAA's 2021 decision to allow athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.

The bill will face scrutiny from House leaders. GOP Reps. Tim Walberg of Michigan and Brett Guthrie of Kentucky criticized the Senate proposal for remaining neutral on whether athletes should be classified as employees, saying such clarity is essential for long-term stability in college sports.

The administration is "reviewing" the legislation, a White House official said, while "soliciting input from important stakeholders." The bill is set for formal introduction the week of June 1 when Congress returns to session, with committee hearings and markup expected in June.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/28/repub/bipartisan-deal-floated-on-college-athletes-name-image-and-likeness-legislation/)
- [Senate Commerce Committee official announcement of the Protect College Sports Act](https://www.commerce.senate.gov/press/rep/release/cruz-cantwell-schmitt-coons-strike-agreement-to-save-college-sports/)
- [Section-by-section summary of the Protect College Sports Act](https://www.commerce.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Section-by-Section_Protect-College-Sports-Act.pdf)
- [ESPN coverage of the $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement approval](https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/45467505/judge-grants-final-approval-house-v-ncaa-settlement)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/28/repub/bipartisan-deal-floated-on-college-athletes-name-image-and-likeness-legislation/.