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| U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) (C) and ranking member Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) (L) hold a news conference with NCAA athletes and coaches about the Protect College Sports Act on September 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz has warned that college athletics are at a breaking point and face an unsustainable crisis. He cautioned that without federal action, the system risks collapsing into a “super league” or mini-NFL dominated by a handful of the wealthiest schools, with serious collateral damage to the broader college sports ecosystem. The Texas Republican pointed to ongoing antitrust litigation and legal uncertainty, an out-of-control spending arms race fueled by name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals and revenue sharing, unlimited transfers and conference realignment as the main drivers. Cruz argues this trajectory threatens non-revenue sports, athletic scholarships, women’s sports, and the U.S. collegiate pipeline that feeds Olympic national teams. At the center of his effort is the Protect College Sports Act of 2026 (S. 4668), a bipartisan bill he introduced with Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), along with Sens. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.). The legislation seeks to create a national framework for college sports. It would establish enforceable rules on transfers, eligibility, recruiting, and tampering; set national standards for NIL while curbing abuses and cap evasion; provide limited antitrust protections so schools and associations can enforce those rules and include athlete safeguards such as scholarship continuity and healthcare protections. It also contains provisions to protect women’s and Olympic sports, including minimum team and roster requirements for higher-revenue schools, and optional media-rights pooling with anti-consolidation guardrails intended to limit a breakaway super league. Cruz stated that many schools are losing tens of millions of dollars trying to keep pace in football and basketball, and that non-revenue programs are being cut as a result. He cited more than 400 college sports programs canceled or gutted in recent years. Additionally, other congressional and hearing references have noted more than 100 teams and over 1,000 scholarships or roster spots eliminated. Cruz stressed that these cuts also endanger opportunities for female athletes and America’s traditional reliance on the collegiate system to develop Olympic talent — unlike countries that fund specialized athletic academies — and could weaken U.S. competitiveness against other nations. He argues further that earlier federal laws and court rulings created the current legal environment, so only Congress can establish clear, enforceable national rules to stabilize the system, protect student-athletes and preserve the traditional structure of college sports.
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