Ted Cruz

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) urged Congress to pass the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, arguing that the rise of name, image and likeness (NIL) payments and expanded athlete movement has pushed college athletics into an unsustainable financial battle.

Cruz Slams NIL Spending Surge

On Wednesday, Cruz, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said college sports have moved away from their traditional model and are increasingly resembling professional leagues.

"College sports are in chaos," he said in a post on X,

He added, "Programs are going broke. Women’s and Olympic sports are disappearing. And college football is becoming a mini-NFL controlled by a handful of schools."

Cruz Blames Congress for Sports Chaos

In an interview cited by the Chicago Tribune, Cruz argued that Congress needs to intervene because lawmakers helped create the current environment.

He said, "The reason Congress needs to act," adding "is that Congress screwed this up in the first place."

He criticized the impact of NIL deals, the transfer portal and increased spending among major programs, saying athletes are transferring multiple times and schools are facing escalating costs.

"We used to have a system that worked," Cruz said. "What we now have is utter chaos."

Cruz said the current system has created a financial arms race where wealthy programs can spend heavily to attract top talent, leaving smaller athletic programs struggling.

The Protect College Sports Act would give the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) a federal antitrust exemption and allow it to establish broader rules governing athlete compensation and competition.

Cruz argued that professional leagues already use competitive balance measures and that college sports require similar safeguards.

Billionaires Boost College Football Through NIL Deals

Earlier, Mark Cuban supported Indiana University’s football turnaround through NIL funding, crediting coach Curt Cignetti’s leadership and comparing his approach to investing in entrepreneurs on "Shark Tank."

He said Indiana’s success came from building the right culture and finding players who fit the program.

Galaxy CEO Mike Novogratz signed a 15-year naming rights deal with Texas Tech, making its football stadium Galaxy Stadium starting in 2026.

The partnership included digital assets branding and NIL opportunities for Red Raider athletes.

The moves highlighted the growing role of billionaire-backed investments in the future of college athletics.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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