U.S. Senator Young announces support for protect College Sports Act

Tuesday, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced his support for the Protect College Sports Act, legislation that aims to end the disorder facing college athletics by establishing nationwide standards for name, image, and likeness (NIL), transfers, eligibility, and enforcement.

In a Commerce Committee markup in June, Senator Young voted against the initial version of the Protect College Sports Act due to concerns expressed by the Big Ten Conference. Over the past several weeks, Young pushed for changes that are addressed in the final version of the bill released yesterday and supported by the Big Ten.

“Hoosiers love college sports, and we want to continue rooting for our favorite schools and athletes for generations to come,” said Senator Young. “The current college sports landscape is chaotic, and federal legislation can bring clear and fair rules, predictability moving forward, and protection for our athletes and institutions. Over the past several weeks, I’ve pushed for reforms to this bill to ensure the interests of all Indiana colleges and universities, including our two Big Ten schools, are represented. I am particularly grateful to Chairman Cruz and his team for their collaborative approach and willingness to make changes to the bill to address concerns raised by the Big Ten. I plan to support this legislation and believe it is the right approach to protect the future of college sports.”

Young is the only Republican Senator on the committee to represent two Big Ten universities.