WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Commerce Committee advanced a college sports bill during a markup on June 18, 2026. Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell are the primary authors of the bill alongside co-authors Senator Eric Schmitt and Senator Chris Coons.

Cruz, who chairs the committee, stated that the Senate bill represents the only path to a signed law. "I agree with that bill. The challenge is there are precisely zero Senate Democrats who would vote for the SCORE Act," Cruz said. "And so, it is a bill that has no prospect of actually being signed into law. The only bill that has a realistic path to becoming law is this [Senate] bill."

Cantwell, the ranking member of the committee, stated that discussions regarding the bill previously involved senators, White House officials, and college athletics stakeholders. She indicated a need for broader engagement, saying, "And I think it's probably time to have a 'five-corner' discussion, because the issues we're seeing are from … both sides of the House." Cantwell further added, "I think that that's probably what would make the most sense to get everybody's viewpoint properly represented."

Cruz acknowledged having exchanges with House members about the legislation. "I understand House leadership's concerns. They have a lot invested in the SCORE Act. They worked hard in good faith on the SCORE Act," Cruz said. House Republican leaders revised the SCORE Act in April 2026 before pulling it from consideration after the Congressional Black Caucus and the NAACP connected the legislation to redistricting efforts in red states that eliminated some majority-Black House districts.

Cruz described the process of compromise for the Senate bill, saying, "I had to make concessions that, frankly, I didn't like. Sen. Cantwell made concessions that she didn't like. And that's how you get a compromise where not everybody gets everything they want." He concluded, "But I think the final product is a good product, and so the next step is going to be to bring this bill to the floor and take a vote on the floor."

Cruz expressed his hope that Senate Majority Leader John Thune would bring the bill to the Senate floor in July 2026. Cantwell said many individuals support the bill but are trying to navigate the political landscape. "A lot of people like it. They're just trying to understand the politics," Cantwell said. She predicted that athletic directors and presidents would face scrutiny from regents. "I think what's going to come up is that [athletic directors] and presidents are going to get their comeuppance from regents who were all of a sudden like, 'What the hell are you doing?'" Cantwell said.

Cantwell and Cruz held a conference call with presidents from the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The SEC does not support the Senate college sports legislation. Cantwell recounted that the presidents had to meet to decide if they could participate in a call with her and Cruz without the conference commissioners present. "The presidents had to have a meeting to decide whether they could get on a conference call with Sen. Cruz and I without the conference commissioners," Cantwell said. She noted that during the call, only one university president spoke, reading a statement, and no questions were asked. "One university president could talk. He read a statement, and then nobody else could talk, and they didn't have any questions," Cantwell said. Senator Schmitt stated that he would continue talks with SEC officials to address their concerns before the measure reaches the Senate floor.