U.S. Senate Passes Bipartisan Bill to Regulate College Sports
The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan bill in Washington D.C. designed to regulate college sports by establishing rules for athlete payments and transfers, while also granting new authority to the NCAA. The legislation, which addresses concerns over escalating costs and…
Tampa St. Petersburg, FL, September 28, 2026 —
Washington D.C. – The United States Senate has passed a bipartisan bill aimed at regulating college sports. The legislation, which cleared the Senate floor, seeks to establish new rules governing athlete payments and athlete transfers within collegiate athletics. It also includes provisions to grant enhanced authority to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The bill’s passage follows growing concerns over the rapidly escalating costs associated with college sports programs and the increased movement of athletes between institutions. By addressing these issues, lawmakers hope to bring more structure and predictability to the landscape of collegiate athletics.
Key elements of the legislation include:
- Establishing regulations for how college athletes can be compensated.
- Implementing new rules for athlete transfers, often referred to as the transfer portal.
- Granting additional authority to the NCAA to oversee these new regulations.
The bill’s proponents argue that these measures are necessary to ensure fairness and stability in college sports. However, its journey is not yet complete. Following its passage in the Senate, the legislation now moves to the House of Representatives, where its future remains uncertain. The specific details of the rules for athlete payments and transfers, as well as the extent of the new authority granted to the NCAA, were not provided in the summary.
Story summarized from the original created by By Mary Clare Jalonick, Joey Cappelletti and Eddie Pells, Associated Press on www.tampabay.com, see more information here.
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