The Senate has overwhelmingly endorsed a far-reaching and bipartisan bill to overhaul college sports.
Idaho Republican Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch both voted for the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, which passed Monday on a 77-22 vote.
The bill still allows “revenue sharing,” direct payments to athletes. The spending cap would increase from $21.5 million to roughly $49 million, ESPN reported. Other provisions of the bill would allow student-athletes to transfer only once in their college careers; cap fees to agents at 5%; and restrict colleges and universities from cutting programs in Olympic sports in order to sink the savings into football.
“College athletics are facing significant challenges Congress can and must meaningfully address,” Crapo said in a news release Tuesday. “The Protect College Sports Act provides much-needed clarity and consistency for student athletes and higher education institutions.”
In the same news release, Idaho’s three university presidents took turns hailing the bill.
“The Protect College Sports Act is an important pathway for creating a stable, fair foundation for college athletics,” Boise State University President David Hahn said.
Despite the overwhelming Senate vote — and backing from President Donald Trump — the Protect College Sports Act is not a done deal. It still needs to pass the House, which is on recess until after the November election. If the House fails to act on the bill during a lame-duck session after the elections, ESPN noted, the process would have to start over in the next congressional session.
Coming Thursday: As college athletics becomes a national political football, what’s at stake in Idaho? We take a closer look.
