Two Senators Want New Rules for College Sports

Two senators are planning to announce a new bill about college sports on Wednesday. Senator Ted Cruz from Texas and Senator Maria Cantwell from Washington want to make new rules. They hope these rules will help fix problems in college sports. The senators work on different teams but are working together on this bill.

College sports have been having many problems lately. There have been lots of court cases against the NCAA, which is the group that makes rules for college sports. The NCAA has been fighting these cases in court for years. Cruz and Cantwell want to help stop some of these court fights.

The new bill would let the NCAA make stricter rules about student athletes. For example, it could limit how often players can switch schools. The NCAA could also put limits on how much money schools spend on sports. The bill would help conferences work together to share money from TV deals.

Cruz leads the Senate Commerce Committee, and Cantwell is the top Democrat on the same committee. They have been working on this bill for many months. They want to make sure enough senators from both parties will vote for it. A bill needs 60 votes to pass in the Senate.

Another college sports bill was supposed to get voted on recently, but it was canceled. That bill came from the House of Representatives, but it didn't have enough support. Some people think the Cruz-Cantwell bill from the Senate has a better chance of becoming law.

The details of the new bill are still being worked out. However, it will likely include special protection for the NCAA. This protection would help the NCAA avoid some court cases. The protection would only apply to rules about player transfers and how long players can compete.

The NCAA is also working on new rules about player age. Next month, they might vote on letting players compete for up to five seasons. Players would start counting their seasons the year after they turn 19 or graduate high school. This change could help players who take time off or start college later.