INTERNACIONAL
College sports sees pivotal moment as Senate looks to move legislation on NIL, transfers across goal line
Senate stepping in to regulate college sports
The Senate is actively preparing to debate a bipartisan bill that could significantly alter the landscape of intercollegiate sports. Lawmakers aim to create national standards for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) money and curb roster chaos from transfers. Senators Cruz, Cantwell, Baldwin, and Booker discuss the necessity of federal intervention due to perceived failures of the NCAA.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Congress could determine the future of college sports.
Thursday was a seminal day as to whether Congress can either salvage – or potentially ruin – intercollegiate athletics. It’s a congressional Hail Mary as senators address name, image and likeness (NIL) deals for athletes, compensation packages and transfers between schools.
«College sports is in crisis,» declared Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
«There’s a sense of urgency in that room you can feel it, right? You’ve got to do something rapidly,» said Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.
TED CRUZ, MARIA CANTWELL UNVEIL BIPARTISAN COLLEGE ATHLETICS BILL AMID NIL CHAOS, LAWSUITS, ‘LANE KIFFIN RULE’
Senate lawmakers advanced a bipartisan college sports bill that would create national NIL standards and limit athlete transfers. The measure now heads toward a full Senate debate. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
The Commerce Committee approved a bipartisan gameplan to fundamentally alter college sports. The full Senate plans to debate the bill in July.
«We have put something on the table that’s going to bring more certainty and predictability to the system,» said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the panel.
Establishing a nationwide payout framework is a key aspect of the deal. Lawmakers know that inaction could mean that monied, major programs will simply outbid smaller schools. Perhaps even for a future NFL MVP.
«I’m worried that we’ll never see a Josh Allen again at the University of Wyoming,» said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., referring to the Buffalo Bills standout quarterback. «It leaves those of us who don’t really have a donor base [to struggle to] pay for players of that caliber.»
The bill also restricts athletes to one transfer between schools during a five-year period without a penalty.
«Now we have this unbelievable number of players that get in the (transfer) portal every year and we have nothing to control the agents,» said former Alabama head football coach Nick Saban to a Senate panel earlier this month.
UCLA QUARTERBACK ATTEMPTS TO EXPLOIT LOOPHOLE IN TRANSFER PORTAL WINDOW WITH UNIQUE TACTIC
Lawmakers believe this plan will curb the constant roster chaos.
Advocates of the legislation believe it protects student-athletes.
«It definitely makes sure that predatory contracting done by agents or universities or conferences or shill organizations, don’t get students stuck in binding arbitration,» said Cantwell.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is the only former Division I college athlete in the Senate. He played tight end for Stanford’s football team. Booker opposes the bill.
SENS MARSHA BLACKBURN, MARIA CANTWELL HUSTLING TO PROTECT COLLEGE ATHLETES’ FINANCES IN MURKY NIL WORLD
Congress is weighing major changes to college athletics, including athlete compensation, transfers and NIL regulations amid growing concerns about competitive imbalance. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
«I’ve seen decade after decade, how the NCAA has screwed athletes. And so we need to make sure there’s firm athletic protections and not trust the NCAA to do it,» said Booker.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is the only former Division I football head coach in the Senate. He led programs at Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Cincinnati. He joins Booker in condemning the legislation.
«They’re trying to turn college sports into the same situation we got in with Obamacare,» said Tuberville on Fox News Radio. «We can’t get the federal government involved in college sports.»
During a floor speech, Tuberville argued that «Congress should not decide how much money student athletes can earn.»
Yet Tuberville conceded that «college sports is facing a five-alarm fire. It’s getting ready to be over with as we know it.»
That’s why Cruz believes Congress should intervene.
«If the alternative is do nothing and allow chaos to continue in college sports to be destroyed, I think that alternative is unacceptable,» said Cruz.
Congress struggles to do lots of things right. That’s why some observers doubt that Congress is a good substitute for the NCAA.
Matt Mackowiak is a former GOP Senate aide who’s written about Brendan Sorsby, his gambling scandal and the saga involving Texas Tech megabooster Cody Campbell. Big money lured Sorsby to the school for a hot minute. Mackowiak says the Cruz/Cantwell bill fails to prevent another Sorsby situation. But Mackowiak’s biggest concern is congressional willingness to undercut the NCAA.
«I don’t know why you need to create some new system and make it overly complicated. You have a governing body. They haven’t had a lot of teeth in their enforcement in recent years.»
Some of that is because super conferences like the Big Ten and SEC wield more power than the NCAA. Notably, neither of those conferences endorsed the Senate bill. But it was the NCAA which demanded congressional intervention. The NCAA has told lawmakers it can’t address NIL on its own and pushed for a national standard set by Capitol Hill.
But Booker isn’t enamored with the NCAA.
«The NCAA, which can’t be trusted, has shown decade after decade, (of) failing college athletes,» he said.
There’s concern the bill could undercut current sports broadcasters by diversifying the number of streamers and outlets carrying games. That could complicate viewing. Additional options aren’t necessarily good for fans if they struggle to find their games.
«Then the fans get hurt because all the content is behind a paywall,» said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
«I suspect everyone in this room has heard about frustrations from their constituents in trying to watch their favorite professional sports teams play. They are met with blackouts and paywalls,» said Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.
The House of Representatives stumbled in two previous efforts to regulate college sports. The House Republican leadership had to yank completely different college sports regulation bills off the floor in December and this spring because they lacked the votes. So, now it’s the Senate’s turn to try.
There are lots of questions about whether the Senate, like the House, can command the votes for this bill. Moreover, what bandwidth does the Senate even have for serious legislating in July? The Senate is trying to figure out what’s next about the nomination of Jay Clayton to serve as director of national intelligence. The future of FISA Section 702 – the nation’s top program to fight terrorism – is up in the air after authorization expired a few weeks ago. And some Republicans are optimistic the Senate can advance a third «reconciliation package» to pay for the war in Iran, cut taxes and reduce fraud.
It would seem that those priorities might outweigh something on college sports.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: HOUSE DEMS QUESTION SPORTS BILL TIMING AMID LANE KIFFIN CONTROVERSY
A Senate panel approved legislation supporters say would bring stability to college sports as critics warn it expands federal involvement. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
But as Cruz and Tuberville both say, the situation in college sports is dire. There’s worry that the SEC and/or Big Ten might form a mega conference. Or develop their own broadcast platforms for games. And there may be a lot more Brendan Sorsbys as gaming becomes more ubiquitous.
None of this is going to get any better.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The future of college sports is on the line.
So, to fix it, the Senate might just give it the old college try.
ncaa, congress, sec, ncaa fb, senate elections
El fortalecimiento de la Zona Libre de Colón es una tarea de múltiples instituciones, una responsabilidad compartida entre el Estado y el sector privado.
Esto lo afirma la Cámara de Comercio, Industrias y Agricultura de Panamá, luego de que un informe de la Alianza Transnacional para Combatir el Comercio Ilícito (TRACIT), señalara supuestas vulnerabilidades del país frente al comercio ilícito.
Jeffrey Hardy, director general de TRACIT, manifestó esta semana que Panamá ha mostrado avances respecto al índice anterior y que actualmente figura como el segundo país de mejor desempeño en Centroamérica en materia de resiliencia frente al comercio ilícito.
No obstante, advirtió que aún persisten importantes vulnerabilidades relacionadas con las zonas francas, el contrabando de cigarrillos, la falsificación de mercancías, el comercio electrónico y el movimiento de pequeños paquetes procedentes del extranjero.
La regulación de las zonas francas, añadió Hardy, continúa siendo una de las principales debilidades detectadas por la organización en Centroamérica y sostuvo que la Zona Libre de Colón, por su relevancia en el comercio internacional, debe continuar fortaleciendo sus controles, la gestión de riesgos y la cooperación entre el sector público y privado.
Ante este planteamiento, las autoridades nacionales rechazaron “categóricamente” cualquier intento de presentar a la Zona Libre de Colón como un espacio de tolerancia al crimen organizado.
Un comunicado del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores afirmó que esa narrativa “desconoce la realidad, los avances alcanzados y el profundo proceso de modernización que impulsa el Gobierno Nacional».
El planteamiento gubernamental fue más allá al señalar que las incidencias de actividades ilícitas representan apenas el 0,00042% del volumen comercial de una plataforma que mueve más de $25.000 millones anuales, por lo que, a su juicio, se trata de casos aislados y no de una práctica sistemática.
Por su parte, la Cámara de Comercio recuerda que la Zona Libre de Colón es uno de los principales activos estratégicos de Panamá. Su capacidad histórica de casi ocho décadas para conectar mercados, generar empleo y atraer inversión la convierte en una pieza esencial de nuestra plataforma logística y comercial.
En su publicación semanal, avalada por su presidente Aurelio Barría Pino, el organismo empresarial sostiene que para lograr su competitividad la institución avanza en acciones concretas, entre las que cita la creación de la primera Oficina de Cumplimiento, la certificación de auditores BASC, el mantenimiento de la certificación ISO 9001, la integración tecnológica entre el sistema DMCE y la Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas, que aduce unen la gobernanza, la transparencia, la trazabilidad y la mejora continua.
El gremio de los comerciantes también menciona la coordinación permanente con la Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas, la Unidad de Análisis Financiero, el Ministerio de Seguridad Pública, la Dirección General de Ingresos y otras entidades, lo que fortalece la seguridad y la confianza.
A ello, agrega, se suman el Centro de Monitoreo y Videovigilancia, los sistemas inteligentes de control y la cooperación con el gobierno de Estados Unidos para impulsar la capacidad de inspección mediante tecnología de última generación.
“La actualización que hoy experimenta la Zona Libre de Colón la moderniza, la diversifica y la conecta con las nuevas demandas del comercio global. Al mismo tiempo, amplía las oportunidades para aprovechar la integración económica regional y fortalecer las relaciones comerciales con mercados estratégicos, incluyendo los países del Mercosur», anota.
La Cámara de Comercio, Industrias y Agricultura de Panamá puntualiza que continuará siendo una aliada permanente de esta transformación, alegando que la ruta es clara: inversión, tecnología, institucionalidad y trabajo conjunto.
INTERNACIONAL
Graham’s death ignites GOP scramble for Senate seat as Trump hints he already has a favorite
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s, R-S.C., sudden death from an undisclosed illness has triggered a two-pronged approach to replace him, and President Donald Trump will likely be a focal point in the process.
Graham’s passing overnight comes at a time when Republicans in the upper chamber need every vote they can get. The Senate GOP now holds a 52-seat majority, and with the timetable for Sen. Mitch McConnell’s, R-Ky., absence still unclear, that majority is now effectively 51 votes.
That will up the pressure, and drama, to find a replacement for the longtime South Carolina lawmaker.
LINDSEY GRAHAM, SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR WHO ROSE FROM SMALL-TOWN ROOTS TO GOP POWER BROKER, DIES AT 71
Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One with President Donald Trump and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on the way back to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 4, 2026. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump, during an appearance on NBC’s «Meet the Press» on Sunday, said, «I have somebody that I think would be great.»
«But I don’t want to say it now because it’s just, it’s too soon with Lindsey,» Trump said. «I don’t wanna even talk about anybody, but I do have somebody that I think is really good.»
It’s a process guided by the Constitution and state law. The first step will require South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, to appoint a replacement for Graham on a temporary basis.
McMaster, a close ally of Trump, can appoint a temporary replacement as soon as he wants. That pick will serve until the next special or general election.
MCCONNELL FACES FRESH CALLS TO COME CLEAN ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES
Fox News Digital did not immediately hear back from McMaster’s office on when he would make the announcement, or who he was considering for the seat.
Graham was already in-cycle running for a fifth term in the upper chamber, and he easily cruised to a primary victory early last month. That means that whoever McMaster taps would serve until the end of the year to finish off the remainder of Graham’s fourth term.
The second prong is finding his long-term successor.
The candidate filing period for that special election to win the GOP nomination opens July 21. The election is slated for Aug. 11, according to South Carolina law.
That race could see several familiar faces in South Carolina GOP politics jumping in, including McMaster himself, who is termed out as governor.
TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT POWER FACES ANOTHER GOP TEST IN SOUTH CAROLINA AFTER ALAN WILSON ADVANCES
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., departs the U.S. Capitol after a series of House votes on funding for Homeland Security and a War Powers resolution on Iran on March 5, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump heaped praise on McMaster, noting that he endorsed his first bid for the White House in 2016.
«Henry’s been a great governor, you know now he’s termed out, but he’s going to do the right thing,» Trump said. «I think Henry will be fantastic.»
There are six members of South Carolina’s GOP congressional delegation who could toss their hats into the mix. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who recently lost a bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, is eyeing jumping into the special election.
A person familiar with Mace’s plans told Fox News Digital, «Congresswoman Mace is considering a bid to run.»
Then there’s Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., the longest-serving Republican member of the Palmetto State’s delegation. He quickly snuffed speculation about whether he’d leap into the fray.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«I was grateful to speak with President Trump today reminiscing about our mutual friend, Senator Lindsey Graham,» Wilson said on X. «I assured him my goal is to remain in the House to keep his two-vote majority for the American people!!!»
Then there’s the remaining four: South Carolina Republican Reps. Ralph Norman, who also lost out on scoring the GOP nomination for governor, Russell Fry, William Timmons and Sheri Biggs, none of whom, so far, have signaled that they would jump into the battle for Graham’s seat.
Meanwhile, Pamela Evette, who Trump endorsed in the governor’s race but ultimately lost to GOP nominee and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, could also be in the mix.
Fox News Digital did not immediately receive responses to requests for comment from each possible contender.
politics, lindsey graham, senate, donald trump, south carolina
INTERNACIONAL
Murió el senador de EEUU Lindsey Graham, estrecho aliado de Donald Trump, tras una enfermedad breve
Graham era cercano a Trump
La política exterior fue un foco para Graham
Graham fue presidente de los comités de Presupuesto y Judicial del Senado
Cámara de Comercio panameña cierra filas y llama a fortalecer la Zona Libre de Colón
Rating: cuánto midió el arrasador triunfo de la Argentina ante Suiza en el Mundial 2026
Brasil publicó un video sobre la “refundación” de la Selección y estallaron los hinchas: “Nos convertiremos en el nuevo Uruguay”
Importaciones: qué puede cambiar en el segundo semestre y por qué el mercado sigue de cerca a la inversión
¿Dónde ver EN VIVO y ONLINE el partido entre Tigre vs Independiente Rivadavia de Mendoza por Copa Argentina 2026?
Mundial 2026: qué dicen las apuestas para las semifinales y que país puede salir campeón
Contundente respaldo de la FIFA tras las críticas a los árbitros de Argentina-Egipto: “Las acusaciones infundadas no tienen cabida”
“Hablame bien”: el tenso cruce de Lionel Messi con el árbitro en la victoria de Argentina ante Suiza en el Mundial
Trump envoy warns China’s power move at sea is threat ‘we cannot afford to ignore’
Un apostante gana un millón de dólares en Toshi.bet
DEPORTE12 horas ago“Hablame bien”: el tenso cruce de Lionel Messi con el árbitro en la victoria de Argentina ante Suiza en el Mundial
- POLITICA2 días ago
Hackearon a la AFA y enviaron correos con falsas denuncias sobre el arbitraje ante Egipto
- ECONOMIA3 días ago
Shutdown en Argentina: la razón detrás de la idea de Milei de avanzar con un «apagón» del Estado
