Ted Cruz says bipartisan Protect College Sports Act preserves state bans on men in women’s athletics

(The Daily Signal) – Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is leading the effort on a massive bipartisan bill to “protect, save, and preserve college sports in America.” While conservative groups formerly critiqued the bill for leaving a gap that would override state laws that ban men from competing in women’s sports, the authors changed the language of the bill to ensure it won’t happen.

“This bill does absolutely nothing to undermine the laws states have passed, protecting women’s sports,” Cruz told the Daily Signal at an event for the legislation, acknowledging that the concern had been raised.

“We made modifications to the language to make it clear,” he continued. “We leave that issue to the states. This bill does nothing to impact that one way or the other. That is a very deliberate decision to leave the decision to the states on how to handle that issue,” he concluded.

The Office of the White House Counsel, which supports the bill, confirms “the Protect College Sports Act would not preempt state laws prohibiting men from participating in women’s sports.”

What the Protect College Sports Act does

Cruz, who is a supporter of banning men from competing in women’s sports, called the Protect College Sports Act a historic piece of legislation that will protect the more than 500,000 collegiate athletes across America yearly.

He explained that the bill will “bring order to the chaos” that is college sports and instill “simple, common-sense rules” to ensure the sports system remains strong and vibrant for decades to come.”

“Right now, the transfer portal is unlimited, and you see student athletes transferring three, four, five times. That means the ties to the school, the ties to the programs, are all weakened. But it also means every student that transfers multiple times, that student is much less likely to get a degree, much less likely to get an education, much less likely to get the enormous benefit that you get from competing in college athletics,” Cruz continued.

If the bill passes, athletes will be limited to one free transfer, with additional transfers permitted under specific circumstances, including if the coach leaves, if the program is canceled, or if the athlete is a victim of sexual assault or harassment. If an athlete wishes to transfer outside of these circumstances, he or she will have to redshirt, meaning the athlete will sit out for one year.

It also eliminates pro players coming back into college sports. The bill would set a standard that every athlete is entitled to five years of eligibility, with a cap at age 24. It will also guarantee the rights of athletes to receive revenue shares for their name, image, and likeness, known as NIL deals.

Cruz said that this ensures athletes are “entitled to enjoy the fruits of their labor,” while cracking down on fake NIL deals from boosters, allowing the system to “remain competitive and vibrant.”

The vote on the Protect College Sports Act is expected in the next 10 days, and Cruz is confident it has the votes and endorsements it needs to pass. It has received support from the White House, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. It also has four Republican and four Democratic sponsors, including bipartisan support from the Senate Commerce Committee.

(Image credit: Virginia Grace McKinnon/The Daily Signal)