Three Idaho university presidents are cheering a bipartisan college sports reform bill after it cleared the U.S. Senate on Monday, with both of the state’s senators voting yes.
The Protect College Sports Act, written by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, passed with support from more than two-thirds of the chamber. The measure is designed to establish new financial rules and student-athlete eligibility standards for NCAA sports in an era defined by player compensation.
Idaho’s two senators, Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, both Republicans, backed the bill. Risch, 83, is seeking a fourth term, while Crapo, 75, is in his fifth term, which runs through January 2029.
University leaders in Idaho framed the vote as a needed step toward stability in a sport landscape that has been reshaped by NIL deals and a wave of legal challenges. Those changes have put pressure on programs nationwide and raised questions about what schools can do and which athletes can compete.
Boise State President David Hahn said in a statement, “Athletics is the front porch of Boise State and often the first way people across Idaho and the nation encounter our university. But its impact reaches far beyond competition,” He added, “Athletics has helped attract students, inspire philanthropy, advance our academic and research mission, and unite Idahoans around a shared sense of pride.”
Boise State officials have previously said the university’s athletics programs generate $350 million of its $2.2 billion annual economic impact on Idaho.
At the University of Idaho, President Scott Green called the legislation “a great framework” for college athletics and the student-athlete experience. “We appreciate a national approach to unified guidelines that standardize important issues such as eligibility, transferring, and appropriate athlete protection,” he said.
Green also described Crapo as a “stalwart supporter” of college sports, saying the senator has worked toward a system that is fair for both schools and athletes and keeps athletics a “shared pastime across the nation.”
Crapo said in a statement, “College athletics are facing significant challenges Congress can and must meaningfully address,” He said the bill offers “much-needed clarity and consistency for student-athletes and higher education institutions” and protects NIL rights while preserving fair competition.
“Clear national standards will help provide stability for college athletics and protect the opportunities and traditions that make college sports an important part of communities across the country,” he added.
Idaho State University President Robert Wagner also backed the measure, saying, “Athletics is a vital part of our campus, providing educational and athletic opportunities, developing future leaders, and creating meaningful points of pride throughout our community and alumni base,” He called the bill “the first bipartisan, comprehensive effort to begin addressing the destabilizing challenges faced by college athletics.”
The Senate action follows President Donald Trump’s executive order last year, “Saving College Sports,” which aimed to set guardrails and preserve competition and parity. It also comes after the Idaho Legislature adopted a joint memorial this year urging Congress to approve a uniform set of policies “to restore clarity, consistency, and stability to the governance of intercollegiate athletics.”
The legislation now heads to the U.S. House.
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