The Protect College Sports Act is a landmark, bipartisan bill that will preserve and strengthen our uniquely American system of college athletics... Any serious solution must begin with reality. The NIL era is here. The Protect College Sports Act embraces this new environment, while establishing the rules necessary to end the chaos... I strongly urge my colleagues to support the Protect College Sports Act.
Support passage of the Protect College Sports Act to establish federal rules for college athletics in the NIL and revenue-sharing era, including protections for legitimate NIL activity, scholarships, medical coverage, transfer and eligibility rules, and fair competition.
Occurrences
Ted Cruz will host a press conference with more than 30 student athletes and coaches to discuss the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act and the urgent need for Congress to send the bill to President Trump’s desk.
Evidence
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The Senate Commerce Committee said it advanced S.4668, the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, by a 19-9 roll-call vote and sent it to the full Senate. The release lists Chairman Ted Cruz among the yeas and includes his statement urging colleagues to support the bill.
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The markup page lists Ted Cruz as the presiding chairman and identifies the legislation before the committee as S.4668, Protect College Sports Act of 2026.
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The official summary says the bill protects NIL compensation, scholarship support, medical coverage, transfer protections, eligibility standards, and fair competition-related rules including revenue-sharing cap enforcement and media-rights provisions.
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The committee release says Cruz emphasized the Protect College Sports Act, introduced with Cantwell, Schmitt, and Coons, would create a national rulebook for college sports. Cruz described legitimate NIL opportunities, scholarship protections, health and safety protections, eligibility standards, and media-rights options.
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The committee said Cruz, Cantwell, and Coons hosted a roundtable on the Protect College Sports Act. Cruz said the bill creates national standards on transfers, eligibility, tampering, inducements, and revenue sharing.
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AP reported that the Protect College Sports Act advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee 19-9 and then headed to the full Senate, while noting opposition from the SEC and Big Ten and uncertainty about passage.
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The Congressional Record shows a unanimous-consent order setting the cloture vote on the motion to proceed to S. 4668 for no earlier than September 15 and no later than September 23, 2026.
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The Senate's September 10 floor activity page records a pro forma session and adjournment until September 14, with no S. 4668 action listed.
Assessments
Cruz materially supported and advanced the Protect College Sports Act in the current Senate term: he sponsored or led advocacy for S. 4668, chaired committee consideration, voted for it in the Commerce Committee, and helped send it to the full Senate. The bill's contents match the promised NIL, scholarship, medical coverage, transfer, eligibility, and fair-competition framework. However, as of September 12, 2026, the bill had not passed the full Senate or become law; official floor records showed only a future cloture vote on the motion to proceed. Because the promised federal rules have not yet been enacted but the legislation remains pending with serious candidate effort, the promise is unresolved rather than delivered.
Cruz materially supported and advanced the Protect College Sports Act during his current Senate term: he helped introduce and advocate for the bill, chaired the Commerce Committee markup, voted for it, and helped move it out of committee. The bill’s provisions match the promised NIL, scholarship, medical, transfer, eligibility, and competition-rule components. However, the evidence shows the bill had only advanced to the full Senate and had not passed Congress or become law by July 8, 2026, so the promised federal rules were not fully delivered.