Protect College Sports Act passed the Senate. Here's how it voted.

Jul 17, 2023
2,320
2,415
113
For schools like Iowa and Iowa State the passage of this bill is essential to leveling the playing field regarding NIL and the out-of-control spending many schools are doing to basically buy championships. Here's a list of those Senators and how they voted.

Protect College Sports Act votes by senator​

  • Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), no
  • Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.), yes
  • Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), yes
  • Jim Banks (R-Ind.), yes
  • John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), yes
  • Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), yes
  • Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), yes
  • Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), no
  • Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), no
  • Cory Booker (D-N.J.), no
  • John Boozman (R-Ark.), yes
  • Katie Britt (R-Ala.), yes
  • Ted Budd (R-N.C.), yes
  • Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), yes
  • Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), yes
  • Bill Cassidy (R-La.), yes
  • Susan Collins (R-Maine), yes
  • Chris Coons (D-Del.), yes
  • John Cornyn (R-Texas), yes
  • Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), yes
  • Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), yes
  • Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), yes
  • Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), yes
  • Ted Cruz (R-Texas), yes
  • John Curtis (R-Utah), yes
  • Steve Daines (R-Mont.), yes
  • Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), no
  • Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), yes
  • Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), yes
  • John Fetterman (D-Pa.), yes
  • Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), yes
  • Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), yes
  • Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), no
  • Darline Graham (R-S.C.), yes
  • Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), yes
  • Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), yes
  • Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), yes
  • Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), yes
  • Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), yes
  • John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), yes
  • Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), yes
  • John Hoeven (R-N.D.), yes
  • Jon Husted (R-Ohio), yes
  • Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), yes
  • Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), yes
  • Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), yes
  • Tim Kaine (D-Va.), no
  • Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), no
  • John Kennedy (R-La.), yes
  • Andy Kim (D-N.J.), no
  • Angus King (I-Maine), yes
  • Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), yes
  • James Lankford (R-Okla.), yes
  • Mike Lee (R-Utah), yes
  • Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), yes
  • Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), yes
  • Ed Markey (D-Mass.), no
  • Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), yes
  • Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), yes
  • David McCormick (R-Pa.), yes
  • Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), no
  • Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), yes
  • Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), yes
  • Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), yes
  • Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), yes
  • Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), no
  • Patty Murray (D-Wash.), yes
  • Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), yes
  • Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), yes
  • Rand Paul (R-Ky.), no
  • Gary Peters (D-Mich.), yes
  • Jack Reed (D-R.I.), no
  • Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), yes
  • Jim Risch (R-Idaho), yes
  • Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), yes
  • Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), yes
  • Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), no
  • Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), yes
  • Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), no
  • Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), yes
  • Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), no
  • Rick Scott (R-Fla.), no
  • Tim Scott (R-S.C.), yes
  • Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), yes
  • Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), yes
  • Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), yes
  • Tina Smith (D-Minn.), yes
  • Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), did not vote
  • John Thune (R-S.D.), yes
  • Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), yes
  • Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), yes
  • Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), no
  • Mark Warner (D-Va.), yes
  • Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), no
  • Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), no
  • Peter Welch (D-Vt.), yes
  • Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), no
  • Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), yes
  • Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), yes
  • Todd Young (R-Ind.), yes
 

Hurricane88

Junior
Mar 13, 2024
297
393
63
I don't know how anyone can vote against it.

Key Provisions of the Bill

Revenue Sharing & NIL: Caps institutional involvement in third-party NIL arrangements and sets frameworks for direct school-to-athlete revenue sharing (mirroring a $27.5 million to $28 million+ institutional cap and overall $49 million roster spend limits). Requires reporting for NIL earnings over $600 and caps agent fees at 5%.
Transfer Rules: Restricts student-athletes to one transfer without losing athletic eligibility; subsequent transfers require sitting out a year.
Eligibility & Roster Protections: Establishes a five-year window of athletic eligibility and mandates that large Division I schools preserve roster spots and scholarships for non-revenue and Olympic sports.
Antitrust Exemptions: Grants the NCAA, conferences, and schools limited antitrust protections to enforce rules surrounding transfers, compensation caps, and media rights pooling
 

OnlyTheObscure

All-American
Jul 3, 2025
3,682
5,237
113
The spend limits are gd, but with some schools, we will be going back to fast food bags of cash.
I don’t think anything changes except the transfer once.

anything else I think loses in court. Somebody wants to give an adult money there will be ways.

Nobody cares if a a kid makes an app that pays him millions or a girl goes only fans but if you screw up my TV watching well that just isn’t right and we need to cap it.
 

Hurricane88

Junior
Mar 13, 2024
297
393
63
I don’t think anything changes except the transfer once.

anything else I think loses in court. Somebody wants to give an adult money there will be ways.

Nobody cares if a a kid makes an app that pays him millions or a girl goes only fans but if you screw up my TV watching well that just isn’t right and we need to cap it.
Only Fans girls are getting taken to the cleaners now. They will be taxed heavily. It's a sin tax. DeSantis is going after them in Florida.
 
Feb 25, 2008
32,933
32,234
113
In the next 20 years, if things hold serve, CFB won't consolidate because they'll never be able to legally get rid of the programs already attached to the major conferences. It is even less worth the money than them currently allowing the G5 teams into the CFP because they would otherwise face legal and monetary ramifications.

And with the dissolution of CCGs, that makes mega conferences even more unnecessary.

The whole point of regional conferences beyond the rivalries and shared interests is the fact that it saves on costs. It saves on travel expenses first and foremost, but also on most all other expenses.

It costs so much more to ship Iowa out to Washington than it does to go to Champaigne. What is the gain to having those extra travel expenses more often now with longer road trips, when you could actually save that money by not having to travel so far for games you'll be playing every other year?

No, what it'll come down to is eventually they'll circle back around to the realization that hey.....regional conferences weren't so bad after all, especially with a bloated 24 team CFP and no CCGs.

People are always going to cry about scheduling and strength of schedule. There is nothing you can do to appease everybody.

The 12 game schedule isn't going anywhere because they simply don't have time to include anymore games and cram in the playoffs without completely overlapping with the NFL, which they are mortified of doing.

The 9 game conference schedule could change, but that's only if conference sizes reduce. That's the only way, short of financial incentives making up the cost of lost home game revenue, that an Iowa will ever be able to play another major program out of conference again, besides Iowa State.
 
Jan 3, 2004
471
942
93
In the next 20 years, if things hold serve, CFB won't consolidate because they'll never be able to legally get rid of the programs already attached to the major conferences. It is even less worth the money than them currently allowing the G5 teams into the CFP because they would otherwise face legal and monetary ramifications.

And with the dissolution of CCGs, that makes mega conferences even more unnecessary.

The whole point of regional conferences beyond the rivalries and shared interests is the fact that it saves on costs. It saves on travel expenses first and foremost, but also on most all other expenses.

It costs so much more to ship Iowa out to Washington than it does to go to Champaigne. What is the gain to having those extra travel expenses more often now with longer road trips, when you could actually save that money by not having to travel so far for games you'll be playing every other year?

No, what it'll come down to is eventually they'll circle back around to the realization that hey.....regional conferences weren't so bad after all, especially with a bloated 24 team CFP and no CCGs.

People are always going to cry about scheduling and strength of schedule. There is nothing you can do to appease everybody.

The 12 game schedule isn't going anywhere because they simply don't have time to include anymore games and cram in the playoffs without completely overlapping with the NFL, which they are mortified of doing.

The 9 game conference schedule could change, but that's only if conference sizes reduce. That's the only way, short of financial incentives making up the cost of lost home game revenue, that an Iowa will ever be able to play another major program out of conference again, besides Iowa State.
Iowa will never win a national championship under the current environment. I would propose a super conference of the schools that are blue blood that can pay anything they want on their teams. Then have a sane league with a cap on NIL. Iowa would have a chance in this environment. There would still be tremendous interest and money for such league.
 

NorthernHawkeye

All-Conference
Dec 23, 2007
2,982
4,179
113
Iowa will never win a national championship under the current environment. I would propose a super conference of the schools that are blue blood that can pay anything they want on their teams. Then have a sane league with a cap on NIL. Iowa would have a chance in this environment. There would still be tremendous interest and money for such league.

I dont like the idea of Iowa competing in a lesser division.
 

OnlyTheObscure

All-American
Jul 3, 2025
3,682
5,237
113
Iowa will never win a national championship under the current environment. I would propose a super conference of the schools that are blue blood that can pay anything they want on their teams. Then have a sane league with a cap on NIL. Iowa would have a chance in this environment. There would still be tremendous interest and money for such league.
Oh yeah. Uni football and basketball just packs in the people because of the love for less money in their sports teams.

dropping down would kill the athletic department budget. JV tv deals for JV football.
 

Kceasthawk@77

All-American
Feb 2, 2005
4,775
8,215
113
Iowa will never win a national championship under the current environment. I would propose a super conference of the schools that are blue blood that can pay anything they want on their teams. Then have a sane league with a cap on NIL. Iowa would have a chance in this environment. There would still be tremendous interest and money for such league.
??? Most of the money comes from the Media rights contract. Certainly a lesser division without the top 15-20 schools would dramatically lower the media deal on whatever 2nd tier network we'd be on.
 

TheGuy9

Sophomore
Mar 25, 2016
87
130
33
Decent mix.
Really. My count is those voting no are as follows.

Democrats 19
Independents 1 (Bernie Sanders an independent in name only as he ran for the Presidency as a Democrat).
Republicans 2

Yup. A decent Mix if 90/10 is considered a decent mix.
 

The Big Z

All-Conference
Jan 5, 2023
2,257
4,356
113
Iowa will never win a national championship under the current environment. I would propose a super conference of the schools that are blue blood that can pay anything they want on their teams. Then have a sane league with a cap on NIL. Iowa would have a chance in this environment. There would still be tremendous interest and money for such league.
How many did we win before?
 
Feb 25, 2008
32,933
32,234
113
In the next 20 years, if things hold serve, CFB won't consolidate because they'll never be able to legally get rid of the programs already attached to the major conferences. It is even less worth the money than them currently allowing the G5 teams into the CFP because they would otherwise face legal and monetary ramifications.

And with the dissolution of CCGs, that makes mega conferences even more unnecessary.

The whole point of regional conferences beyond the rivalries and shared interests is the fact that it saves on costs. It saves on travel expenses first and foremost, but also on most all other expenses.

It costs so much more to ship Iowa out to Washington than it does to go to Champaigne. What is the gain to having those extra travel expenses more often now with longer road trips, when you could actually save that money by not having to travel so far for games you'll be playing every other year?

No, what it'll come down to is eventually they'll circle back around to the realization that hey.....regional conferences weren't so bad after all, especially with a bloated 24 team CFP and no CCGs.

People are always going to cry about scheduling and strength of schedule. There is nothing you can do to appease everybody.

The 12 game schedule isn't going anywhere because they simply don't have time to include anymore games and cram in the playoffs without completely overlapping with the NFL, which they are mortified of doing.

The 9 game conference schedule could change, but that's only if conference sizes reduce. That's the only way, short of financial incentives making up the cost of lost home game revenue, that an Iowa will ever be able to play another major program out of conference again, besides Iowa State.
So here's what should happen in the next 20 years. College football develops its own governing body to oversee the sport. They rework the TV deals. Change the rules for NIL and restructure the landscape of CFB so that it doesn't seem like the balance of power is shifting to just two conferences and if you're not in the boat you've missed party.

Conferences are redesigned and programs are allowed to freely move back to more regional and traditional conference affiliations.

Notre Dame is given an ultimatum to join the Big Ten or go be a G5 program.

Here's the first option with mostly 12 team conferences:

Big East-
Boston College
Connecticut
Syracuse
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Cincinnati
Louisville
Maryland
Rutgers
Memphis

B10-
Iowa
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Northwestern
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Wisconsin

SEC-
Alabama
Auburn
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
LSU
Mississippi
Mississippi State
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt

ACC-
Virginia
Virginia Tech
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Duke
Wake Forest
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Florida State
Miami
Central Florida
South Florida

Big 8-
(Midwest)
Iowa State
Missouri
Nebraska
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Colorado

(Southwest)
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
TCU
Baylor
Houston
SMU
New Mexico

P12-
Washington
Washington State
Oregon
Oregon State
California
Stanford
UCLA
USC
Arizona
Arizona State
Utah
BYU


*lone exceptions are the Big 8 and Big East
 
Feb 25, 2008
32,933
32,234
113
Here's another option that's a little more regionally-focused-

Major 7 Conferences:
ACC-
Virginia
Virginia Tech
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Duke
Wake Forest
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Florida State
Miami

Big East-
Boston College
Maryland
Rutgers
Syracuse
Penn State
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Cincinnati
Louisville
Central Florida
South Florida

Big Ten-
Iowa
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Northwestern
Ohio State
Purdue
Wisconsin

Gateway-
Iowa State
Missouri
Nebraska
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Colorado
Utah
BYU

Pac 10-
Washington
Washington State
Oregon
Oregon State
California
Stanford
UCLA
USC
Arizona
Arizona State

SEC-
Kentucky
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
South Carolina
Georgia
Florida
Alabama
Auburn
Mississippi
Mississippi State

SWC-
Arkansas
LSU
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
TCU
Baylor
Houston
SMU
New Mexico

Independent-
Notre Dame


Group of 6 Conferences:
AAC-
Army
Navy
Connecticut
Massachusetts
Delaware
Buffalo
Temple
James Madison
Liberty
Old Dominion

Atlantic 10-
Marshall
East Carolina
Charlotte
Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Kennesaw State
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Florida Atlantic
Florida International

CUSA-
Western Kentucky
Middle Tennessee State
Tulane
Southern Mississippi
Memphis
UAB
South Alabama
Troy
Jacksonville State
Florida Atlantic
Florida International

MAC-
Ohio
Miami, OH
Akron
Bowling Green
Kent State
Toledo
Ball State
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Western Michigan
Northern Illinois

MWC-
North Dakota State
Missouri State
Wyoming
Colorado State
Air Force
Utah State
New Mexico State
Tulsa

Sun Belt-
Arkansas State
North Texas
Texas State
UTEP
UTSA
Rice
Sam Houston State
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe

WAC-
Hawaii
Fresno State
San Diego State
San Jose State
Sacramento State
Boise State
Nevada
UNLV
 

squeezebox_1

All-Conference
Mar 6, 2018
1,286
1,846
113
What’s the Democrats objection to the bill?
capping free market earnings, anti-trust exemptions, no collective bargaining...The list goes on. While I sit here and would much rather see all of that money spent elsewhere, but pandoras box was opened. It is really easy to see both side of the coin, and I can't think of any easy solution.
 

DuddyB

All-Conference
Jul 14, 2022
2,219
3,963
113
capping free market earnings, anti-trust exemptions, no collective bargaining...The list goes on. While I sit here and would much rather see all of that money spent elsewhere, but pandoras box was opened. It is really easy to see both side of the coin, and I can't think of any easy solution.
Interesting on capping free market earnings. Typically they are the other side of the issue there. I can see where a CBA is needed.
 
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squeezebox_1

All-Conference
Mar 6, 2018
1,286
1,846
113
Interesting on capping free market earnings. Typically they are the other side of the issue there. I can see where a CBA is needed.
I don't want to get political, as this isn't the off topic forum, but it is such a conundrum. With finite time in college, unlike pros, who do you have represent in a CBA, does it work out for all or only the top performers? If they aren't classified as employees, they really can't form a union. I honestly cannot think of an actual outcome that would be fair.
 
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OnlyTheObscure

All-American
Jul 3, 2025
3,682
5,237
113
Interesting on capping free market earnings. Typically they are the other side of the issue there. I can see where a CBA is needed.
I doubt that would survive a court challenge.

“you are worth what somebody is willing to pay you in all areas of life, but not if it screws up my TV watching”. That’s the legal arguement.
 

Passing Is For COMMIES

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2023
602
1,124
93
What’s the Democrats objection to the bill?
Democrats would ideally want the players to become employees, unionize, and collectively bargain with the NCAA/Conferences. They also probably do not like the salary cap this bill introduces.

However, I don't really agree with that tweet. This was a bipartisan bill with bipartisan support. It was written by Ted Cruz (R) and Maria Cantwell (D). It also had additional sponsorship from other Republicans and Democrats alike. I suspect it will go through no matter what. Maaaaybe the Democrats feel they have enough momentum to kill it and push for a CBA instead, but any other bill would probably get vetoed by the white house, and nothing would happen for a minimum of 2 years. I suspect they take the wins they got in there (protections for women's/Olympic sports, post graduation healthcare from the universities, and other legal protections for athletes) and vote it through anyways.
 
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DuddyB

All-Conference
Jul 14, 2022
2,219
3,963
113
I doubt that would survive a court challenge.

“you are worth what somebody is willing to pay you in all areas of life, but not if it screws up my TV watching”. That’s the legal arguement.
That’s the primary function of congress to pass laws. It’s the courts job to uphold the laws, not deem what laws are to be enforced.
 

Hawkangler

All-Conference
Mar 16, 2014
2,318
4,986
113
The other way to stop the madness is for wealthy, vain alumni, living vicariously through their college teams, to stop giving so much. This is our last year for season tickets, 41 years is enough.

Love college sports but I have issue with 18 -19 year olds making 7 to 8 figures.

They may get it done before January, who knows in this crazy country.
 
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