Sen. Ted Cruz introduces NIL bill, says college sports 'are in peril'

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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) wrote in the Austin American-Statesmen on Friday that he has introduced a bill to regulate name, image and likeness in college sports.

NIL in college sports was finally born in 2021, but it has not come without question marks and controversy.

"College sports are a great cultural unifier, but they are in peril—not just for fans—but for thousands of student-athletes whose games won’t air on national television. . . ." Cruz wrote.

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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, attends a Senate Judiciary Committee markup in Hart Building on Thursday, May 11, 2023.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"Now, additional litigation and draft state laws are hampering the ability of the NCAA to enforce even modest rules, set recruiting standards, promote fair competition, or crack down on bad actors looking to take advantage of student-athletes. Many school administrators agree that these developments, coupled with the evolution of athlete compensation, will lead to the premature end of big-time college football and basketball at dozens of schools. More troubling, however, could be the fallout at all levels of colleges and universities: the elimination of non-revenue sports. "

Cruz, despite saying that athletes are "entitled to profit from their own labor and success" and that the NCAA is "far from perfect," wrote that "congressional action will be necessary" in order to "preserve college athletics as we know it."

The Texas senator said he spoke with athletes, stakeholders for schools in the state and other associations. However, he feels that since each state has its own