The chairmen of the boards of regents for the University of Texas and Texas A&M University Systems have announced opposition to the recently introduced federal Protect College Sports Act.
The proposed legislation, pushed by U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), would create a one-size-fits-all set of rules across a series of issues related to college athletics.
The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 establishes a national framework for college athletics, designed to unify standards across conferences and institutions, including how student‑athletes are compensated, regulated, and protected.
It guarantees athletes the right to earn money from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) while requiring disclosure of larger deals and distinguishing legitimate endorsements from “fake” NIL payments designed to evade caps and rules.
The bill also sets national rules for transfers and eligibility, expands regulation of sports agents, and caps endorsement fees to curb exploitation. In addition, it provides long‑term medical coverage standards, concussion and heat‑illness protocols, and creates an NCAA injury fund, while granting limited antitrust protection for pooled media rights so the NCAA can sell broadcast packages collectively and support a wider range of sports.
In a joint letter released Friday afternoon, chairmen Kevin Eltife (UT) and Robert Albritton (A&M) stated that “there remain key issues with the bill as currently drafted.”
The letter did not detail these issues.
“While Texas A&M University and the University of Texas do not support this bill in its current form, we look forward to working with Congress and the Southeastern Conference to make the necessary improvements so that we can support the bill and ensure the future of college athletics is preserved for students, fans and institutions alike,” the letter continued.
The respective university systems are the parent organizations for the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies athletic programs. Both university systems also oversee a series of additional athletic programs at other system institutions.
Cruz has previously stated that passage of this legislation is “far from a done deal.”
