The Protect College Sports Act, endorsed by Texas Tech alum and board chair Cody Campbell, passed the Senate with ease.
The Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan bill proposing sweeping changes in the landscape of collegiate athletics management, passed by a landslide in the Senate in a vote of 77 to 22.
Texas Tech University System Board of Regents Chairman and football alumnus Cody Campbell has been an ambassador for the legislation from the beginning.
He, along with several others, released a statement congratulating bill writers Sen. Maria Cantwell (D) of Washington and Sen. Ted Cruz (R) of Texas.
"This bill is a huge step forward in protecting opportunity, stability, and sustainability of this uniquely American institution - especially women’s sports, our Olympic programs, and the often-forgotten communities that revolve around and depend on college sports," Campbell wrote on social media.
"We strongly urge the House to move as quickly as possible and send this bill to the President’s desk!"
President Donald Trump has claimed to be in support of the legislation, which, among many universal changes to the landscape of college athletics, pushes for caps on free transfers to one, advancements in revenue sharing, antitrust protection, and tighter NIL frameworks and broadcast rights.
In the Big 12 Conference's statement following Monday's news, the conference outlines the bill as progress that "provides a more stable national framework for college athletics, incorporates important transparency measures, and moves our industry closer to a sustainable model that supports student-athletes, institutions, conferences, and fans."
Texas Tech has found itself in several situations that suggest the need for federal protection and structure in college athletics, such as name, image, and likeness (NIL) initiatives and lawsuits granting student-athletes eligibility.
Campbell is among the few boosters whose generosity has catapulted Texas Tech's reputation in revenue sports from a middling Big 12 program to national contenders with staying power. Even Tech's "smaller" sports, such as softball, have reaped the benefits of Campbell's proactivity.
Still, the oil tycoon is adamant that PCSA moves through the House of Representatives swiftly in order to be signed by the President. The entire process must restart if the bill has not advanced through the House by Jan. 3, 2027.
"Student-athletes from across the country and all three NCAA Divisions worked hard to get on this legislation moving and thanks to their advocacy, the bill just received a massive, bipartisan vote in the Senate," NCAA president Charlie Baker said.
"Now the bill moves to the U.S. House of Representatives and there is much work left to do to ensure student-athlete benefits are codified into federal law and future generations of young people can access those benefits and use college sports as the launching point for their careers."
