Senate Majority Leader John Thune took an initial step Wednesday to allow votes on bipartisan college sports legislation, though it remains unclear how soon it could pass the chamber.
Led by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the Protect College Sports Act would rewrite the national rules for how college athletes are paid and how conferences can expand.
The bill got a boost recently when the Southeastern and Big Ten megaconferences dropped their opposition after the senators agreed to institute a “hard cap” on athlete payments for schools with revenue-sharing deals while preserving an athlete’s ability to secure deals for their name, image and likeness on the open market.
Cruz, Cantwell and other allies have spent recent days pitching the bill to colleagues and have expressed optimism that revised text released Tuesday could garner well over 60 votes needed in the Senate.
Thune’s move allows for an initial vote as soon as Friday, though a deal could speed things up. He also set up potential votes on Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general and a stopgap spending bill punting a shutdown deadline until December.
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