Ted Cruz appeared on College Gameday for approximately 10 minutes on Saturday. He was mercilessly booed and heckled by the rowdy Texas Longhorns crowd in his home state.
You could barely hear what he had to say.
Cruz is in Austin to attend the top-five college football game between THE Ohio State University and the University of Texas. ESPN invited him on the broadcast to discuss his new bill, which will be voted on in the Senate next week.
What is the Protect College Sports Act?
The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 is a bipartisan proposal that is intended to establish a nationwide framework for college athletics. The goal is to replace the current patchwork of individual state laws and NCAA rules with a singular piece of legislation.
A central feature of the act is focused on providing college athletes with a federally protected right to earn money from their Name, Image and Likeness. Schools cannot revoke scholarships or eligibility because an athlete participates in NIL activities. The bill also creates specific rules for contracts, agents, transfers and recruiting that are designed to protect athletes from predatory behavior. That includes academic, medical and scholarship safeguards.
The legislative measure also attempts to bring more financial and competitive stability to college sports. It sets rules to govern how schools can share revenue with athletes and creates a $22.5 million retention fund that schools can use to retain their athletes. That number has the potential to increase if the schools invest in women’s and Olympic sports. It also provides antitrust protections that are designed to protect smaller programs and non-revenue sports with things like collective media-rights negotiations.
The bill was introduced by a bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), alongside Senators Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.).
Supporters argue that the Protect College Sports Act will bring much-needed stability to college supports while also protecting the athletes’ right to earn money. Critics worry that the Protect College Sports Act will only strengthen the biggest conferences and wealthiest schools by increasing the financial gap between smaller Division I institutions.
Ted Cruz was booed and heckled on College Gameday.
As the leading voice for the Protect College Sports Act, Ted Cruz was invited to discuss his proposed bill on College Gameday in Austin, Texas. His 10-minute hit did not go well.
The predominantly burnt orange crowd immediately booed Cruz as soon as he stepped onto the stage. It only escalated from there. Chants of “Ted, You Suck!” completely drowned him out. The boos did not relent.
ESPN had Ted Cruz on 'College GameDay' in a conversation with Rece Davis for nearly 10 minutes.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 12, 2026
Cruz was heavily booed by the crowd — and heard "Ted, you suck!" chants — in Austin. pic.twitter.com/npQesiYMsG
To be completely honest, I do not have any idea what Cruz said during his appearance on ESPN. It could’ve been good. It could’ve been bad. You could not hear a word he was saying throughout the entire segment.
Cruz tried to power through but Longhorns fans (and the few Buckeyes fans) did not let him off the hook. They just kept booing. They just kept heckling. The hatred was relentless.