The U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act (PDF File) by a 77-22 vote late Monday, after nearly six hours of debate and seven amendments. Drafted by Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), the bill would write the House v. NCAA settlement into federal law, including the revenue-sharing model that turned schools into direct payers of their athletes. This is exactly what we broke down in how NIL athletes actually make money.
For families, this is a money story as much as a sports story. Athletes can now get paid directly from schools, collectives, and brands, but each dollar carries self-employment tax, financial aid consequences, and agent commissions. The bill would replace today’s patchwork of state NIL laws with one national rulebook, according to a Senate Commerce Committee fact sheet on the bill.