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As the Senate marches through its final scheduled day before the August recess, the Protect College Sports Act is increasingly unlikely to reach a floor vote this week—caught between last-minute opposition and competing legislative priorities.
One Senate aide told Front Office Sports Friday they put the chances of the bill getting to a floor vote by the recess at just 5%, saying their optimism from earlier in the week “evaporated.”
Another Senate aide said the timing is “going to come down to whatever deal on time that Thune and Schumer strike,” they said, referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.). “Never discount the power of momentum and a little Senate magic.”
The Senate could, theoretically, stick around until Saturday to get more votes in. But as the hours tick by, it’s more likely it will have to revisit the bill during a last-resort fall session ruled by the midterm elections.
Procedural Hurdles
Momentum appeared to build last Friday, when the bill gained the support of the Big Ten and SEC—considered key to getting 60 senators to sign on. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) filed for cloture, the first step in getting the bill to a vote.
But an attempt at fast-tracking it by getting unanimous consent was reportedly unsuccessful. Eleven senators objected, according to Politico.
Senators failed to reach votes on any of the other competing priorities Thursday, and a final floor vote on the PCSA wasn’t on the agenda Friday.
Some, like Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah), called out Senate leadership for making time for college sports legislation rather than other priorities.
Bipartisan Opposition
At the end of the week, two left-leaning groups drummed up opposition to the bill.
The AFL-CIO—one of the most powerful labor groups in Washington—sent a letter to senators urging them to vote no. The letter, by far the strongest opposition the AFL-CIO had voiced to date, essentially put Senate Democrats ”on notice,” one Capitol Hill source told FOS.
“The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 is not a compromise between competing interests, but a legislative effort that preserves institutional control at a time when courts, lawmakers, and the public are increasingly questioning the fairness of the existing model,” AFL-CIO director of government affairs Jody Calemine wrote, adding the AFL-CIO’s Sports Council agreed.
The Congressional Black Caucus—which has already proven its powerful influence regarding college sports legislation—said it would not support the bill because it “falls short of providing Black athletes with the rights, representation, economic opportunities, and meaningful safeguards they deserve.”
A provision offering broadband funding to HBCUs was not enough to get the CBC on board, the Capitol Hill source said.
The bill also faced opposition from the right.
On Thursday Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R., Ala.), Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) and Jim Banks (R., Ind.), filed an amendment to the PCSA related to transgender athlete participation to “ensure the bill does not overturn any state laws banning men from women’s sports.” The concern regarding transgender athletes was echoed by four different advocacy groups Thursday night, as well as conservative activist and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines.
Bill co-sponsor Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and the Trump administration pushed back on the amendment, saying X/Twitter that the bill doesn’t strike down any existing state laws banning trans athletes from competing in women’s sports.
Sen. Ashley Moody (R., Fla.) filed three amendments, one of which would strike the part of the bill requiring power conference programs to be independent for five years before switching conferences, further muddling the process.
“I think it can’t be overstated how the amendments yesterday complicate the path forward,” the first Senate aide said, noting they could add steps to the voting process.
Positive Momentum?
Despite all the hurdles, the PCSA enjoyed some additional support.
On Thursday, Sens. John Hickenlooper (D., Colo.) and Pete Ricketts (R., Neb.) signed on as cosponsors. The Trump administration put out an official policy memo endorsing the bill.
The second Senate aide noted senators previously undecided or unfamiliar with the legislation might sign on, too. “They’re quickly realizing that millions of Americans are following this, many of whom aren’t often tuning into politics,” the aide said.
That momentum could help the bill through the Senate in September if senators leave Washington without a vote this week, sources say. But even so, there’s no guarantee the House will pass the bill before it would die at the end of the year.
During a White House event hosting Team USA Winter Olympians and Paralympians on Thursday, Trump reaffirmed he would sign the bill “immediately” if it reached his desk. “We have to get that done. And if we don’t, we’re very foolish.”
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