“Protect College Sports Act” passes Senate

On Sept. 28, the United States Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) of 2026 (S. 4668) in a 77-22 vote. The bill will now head to the U.S. House of Representatives, where lawmakers are expected to deliberate and edit the bill before a Senate floor vote.

The Protect College Sports Act, proposed by senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), is a rare bi-partisan bill that focuses on setting national standards for college athletics. The act has been praised by many collegiate athletes, directors, and coaches. University of South Dakota Athletic Director, Jon Schemmel, shared that the proposed bill is much needed to keep college athletics successful.

“It’s the most essential thing we need to get done,” Schemmel said.

The bill addresses many of the concerns that have faced college athletics over the past decade, including “Name, Image, and Likeness” (NIL), limited transfers and player eligibility, etc.

The proposed goal of introducing federal oversight is to hopefully unify guardrails and guidelines under a national framework. 

“It is much needed federal legislation to help the NCAA and Division I athletics to get back to a place that we can function with some semblance of governance,” Schemmel said. 

Schemmel also noted that while influential, it isn’t a guaranteed answer to problems. 

“It isn’t the answer to all our problems, but it’s a step in the right direction,” Schemmel said.

He also expressed the urgency on some of the issues addressed, including the new regulations allowing for one free transfer for college athletes. 

“Last year, 49% of all division one scholarship basketball athletes went into the transfer portal. Kids and agents are going to be much more thoughtful about if and when the right time to go is,” Schemmel said.

While the bill is expected to stall in Congress for a while, if eventually passed and signed into law, the college athletic landscape will change one way or another. 

Schemmel emphasized how politicized this bill has become but clarified that it has the backing of beyond just politicians. 

“It has the backing of all 32 division one conference, but also every major league sports organization and player union. There is a lot in the PCSA that’s great for student athletes.” Schemmel said.

Schemmel also confirmed that the athletic department has been in talks about the PCSA and future implantation. 

“We’re very much ready for this to go into play,” Schemmel said. 

To view more about the proposed bill, you can visit the Congress website about the bill.