House should spike Protect College Sports Act

The U.S. House of Representatives has resumed its legislative session, the final one before Democrats become the majority in both the House and Senate in January 2027.

There will be a fanatical rush by Republicans to pass the Protect College Sports Act.

Another name for the bill could be the “Protect Power 4 Conferences from Themselves Act.”

There are sections of the bill that adequately address college sports concerns.

Athlete transfers to new colleges generally would be limited to one without having to sit out a season. Currently, dozens of players are at their fourth or fifth school over a five-year period. That’s ridiculous.

Total eligibility would be limited to five years, regardless of coach-decided redshirt seasons, with limited exceptions for medical and other circumstances.

While the bill also guarantees compensation for their “name, image and likeness,” scholarships, and health care, it provides colleges with an antitrust exemption and sets a limit of player compensation.

It’s like the salary cap that Major League Baseball owners seek and MLB Players Association opposes. The 2027 baseball season is in jeopardy as a Dec. 1, 2026, lockout looms.

This will be just about the time the House would vote on the PCSA, which has already passed in the U.S. Senate by a wide bipartisan 77-22 vote.

But the House will be a tougher task, especially in the wake of historic losses by the GOP in midterm elections. Many U.S. representatives are lame ducks fulfilling their last six weeks in Congress. Some lay their respective defeats at President Trump’s feet.

I doubt the vanquished Ann Wager is one of them. She has constantly held Trump’s coattails, and she will likely do the same and vote for the PCSA.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, is favored to be elected House Speaker following the historic Blue Wave of Democratic victories.

He is among the bill’s doubters, which he voiced in September, calling it “a work in progress.”

“I share many of the concerns that have been articulated by both the Congressional Black Caucus and the NAACP.,” Jeffries said. Those concerns involve capping players’ earning capacity.

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