Sen. Thune makes his case for the Senate-passed Protect College Sports Act: one free transfer, five years to play, no pros

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the Senate Majority Leader, used his Oct. 5, 2026, newsletter column, "A Stable Future for College Sports," to explain why he backs the Protect College Sports Act, S. 4668. The Senate passed the bill 77-22 on Monday, Sept. 28. Both South Dakota senators, Thune and Mike Rounds, voted yes, according to the Senate roll call.

What the bill would do, as Thune describes it: set uniform eligibility rules, limit athletes to one transfer without losing eligibility, cap playing time at five years, and bar professional athletes from competing in college. He says it would also bring transparency to athlete pay, protect student athletes from bad actors, and include safeguards for women's and Olympic sports.

Who wrote it: the bill was authored by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). According to the committee, it would also write athletes' right to earn money from their name, image and likeness (NIL) into federal law, along with scholarship and health and safety protections, and rein in predatory agents.

The South Dakota angle: Thune writes that many athletes at the state's colleges are South Dakotans competing in front of friends and neighbors, and that the bill has support from South Dakota universities. He also mentions his father, a Big Ten basketball player at the University of Minnesota in the 1940s, and his daughter, a Belmont University cross country and track athlete now in that school's hall of fame. A five-year cap, for the record, is still one more year than most of us got to spend in college without anyone asking about a career plan.

What happens next: the bill goes to the U.S. House. It is not law unless the House passes it and the President signs it. You can follow its status on Congress.gov.

Have a view? Thune's office takes comments through his website contact page or by phone at 202-224-2321.

Sources: Sen. John Thune, "A Stable Future for College Sports," Oct. 5, 2026: https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/opinion-editorials/a-stable-future-for-college-sports/ ; U.S. Senate roll call vote 250 (S. 4668), Sept. 28, 2026: https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1192/vote_119_2_00250.htm ; Senate Commerce Committee release, Sept. 28, 2026: https://www.commerce.senate.gov/press/rep/release/senate-overwhelmingly-passes-protect-college-sports-act/ ; bill status: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4668

Photo: The Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium sign at South Dakota State University in Brookings, 2022, by Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.