Sen. Ted Cruz expects a Senate vote on the Protect College Sports Act this week or next, aiming to pass the bipartisan legislation before Congress recesses for midterm elections. Co-sponsored by Cruz and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the bill seeks to regulate escalating spending in college sports as schools adapt to paying players. It has backing from major conferences, Senate leadership, and President Donald Trump, plus high-profile coaches like Nick Saban, Deion Sanders, John Calipari, Mark Few, and Kelvin Sampson, and billionaire Texas Tech alumnus Cody Campbell.

Cruz promoted the bill Saturday on ESPN's "College Game Day" at the University of Texas, where he faced loud boos. He expressed high confidence in passage, hoping a strong bipartisan Senate vote will pressure the House to follow. Supporters argue the bill ends NIL chaos and protects student-athletes, women's sports, and Olympic programs. Calipari estimated it resolves "75-80% of our issues," while Few called it "far, far away the best thing we got."

However, the bill faces a tight timeline and the Senate's 60-vote threshold. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, and Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut leads opposition, arguing the legislation protects billions for coaches and executives while suppressing athlete compensation. Murphy vows to work with opponents to block the bill, saying it fails to stop billionaire spending on facilities or coach salaries and makes the current system permanent at athletes' expense.