Cruz, Cantwell Unveil 1-Transfer College Sports Bill With 5% Agent Fee Cap
Updated
Updated · KSR · May 27
Cruz, Cantwell Unveil 1-Transfer College Sports Bill With 5% Agent Fee Cap
16 articles · Updated · KSR · May 27
Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell introduced the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, which would let college athletes transfer only once and bar coaches from leaving before a season ends.
The bill would give the NCAA and College Sports Commission a narrow antitrust shield over transfers, eligibility and compensation caps, allowing enforcement without legal challenges.
A 5% cap on agent fees, a five-year athlete eligibility limit and a ban on former professionals who earned pay beyond prize money are central compliance provisions.
Schools also could pool media rights if 75% of the 138 FBS programs agree, a threshold that could be met even without Big Ten and SEC support.
The push follows the collapse of the NCAA-backed SCORE Act last week, with senators facing a narrow window before the August recess and midterm politics stall action.
Will banning third-party NIL deals ultimately help or harm the financial futures of college athletes?
Can federal law truly prevent the richest conferences from creating a 'superleague' to dominate college sports?
Why does this bill stop short of calling athletes employees in a multi-billion dollar industry?