Political Picture · congress

Filed by Deacon Rift

Interest groups have spent approximately $31 million lobbying Congress on the Protect College Sports Act, the bipartisan bill from Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) that would establish federal standards for college athlete compensation and name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. The spending highlights the enormous financial stakes for universities, conferences, broadcasters, and player advocates as lawmakers attempt to replace the NCAA's faltering amateurism model with a national framework. The legislation follows a similar House bill that failed earlier this year, making the Senate version the central battleground for the future of college sports economics.