Committee Releases Updated Protect College Sports Act Bill Text

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee released updated bill text for the Protect College Sports Act. The Senate overwhelmingly voted to move the bill forward today (77-22), setting up the chamber for debate and possible final passage next week.

Upon releasing bill text, Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said: “Fans, student athletes, coaches, and representatives on both sides of the aisle agree: college sports desperately needs stability. This updated bipartisan bill text incorporates feedback and ideas from our Republican and Democrat colleagues who have been meeting with student athletes and others about how to improve upon a sensible piece of legislation. For the hundreds of thousands of student athletes and millions of fans tired of the chaos, we are going to get this done.”

Changes to the legislation:

Requires the NCAA to oversee school compliance. The NCAA must take reasonable steps to ensure member schools follow the bill’s health, wellness, and safety standards.
Sets out how the law applies to existing lawsuits. Generally preserves pending cases and claims for damages arising from past conduct without impinging on the PCSA’s eligibility and compensation rules.
Prevents the “cure” process from blocking damages claims for serious harm. Defendants cannot use that process to prevent a lawsuit under the PCSA seeking damages for grave incidents like sexual assault or abuse.
Shortens the waiting period for certain conference moves. Reduces from five years to three the period a school must remain independent when moving from one Power Four conference to another. That three-year rule ends six years after enactment, while other restrictions on conference consolidation and a Super League remain.
Defines the reach of national eligibility rules. Specifies the eligibility subjects covered by the bill’s state law preemption provision: student status, academic requirements, professional-athlete status, and years of eligibility.
Ties retention fund to academic performance. Schools must meet uniform benchmarks for student athlete graduation rates and academic progress to qualify for retention fund spending. The text also specifies academic progress requirements for student athletes while preserving schools and conferences’ ability to maintain more demanding standards.
Preserves existing broadcast contracts. Schools and conferences cannot contribute media rights to the voluntary pooled-media entity when an existing contract prevents them from doing so, including the college football playoff. Existing contractual rights, obligations, and remedies remain in place.
Makes medical coverage a minimum, not a ceiling. Schools, conferences, and athletic associations may provide coverage beyond what the PCSA requires. Athletic associations may also contribute more than the specified amount to the bill’s medical support fund.
Preserves additional health and safety protections. States, schools, conferences, and athletic associations may establish additional standards, including protections addressing sexual assault, sexual misconduct, and sexual harassment.
Includes congressional education and labor committees in commission selections. Requires consultation with the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate HELP Committee and House Education and Workforce Committee when making appointments to the Commission on the Future of College Athletics.
Directs the commission to examine how safety protections work in practice. Requires review of student-athlete injuries and deaths, compliance with safety standards, the independence of health and safety officers’ reporting arrangements, and the independence of medical decisions. The review also includes options for additional standards and oversight.
Studies options for athletes’ long-term financial security. Directs the commission to examine the opportunities and drawbacks of giving student athletes financial interests tied to the value of a college athletic program. This is a study requirement, not an immediate change in ownership or compensation rights.

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