In the midst of the NCAA rejecting hockey’s counterproposal for implementation of the age-based eligibility model, it appears the NCAA may be moving closer to securing the congressional support it needs to enforce some of its rules.
On Wednesday, U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) announced an agreement on a bipartisan bill that would codify several NCAA rules into federal law. Senators Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) also signed on as co-sponsors.
The legislation has been named the Protect College Sports Act. It follows months of negotiations between Cruz and Cantwell, who at one point appeared far apart on several key issues.
If the bill passes both houses of Congress, the NCAA would receive limited antitrust protection.
The legislation contains several major components, but here are some of the most significant potential impacts on college athletics: