When ESPN's College GameDay rolled into Austin for the massive Ohio State–Texas showdown, the show decided to bring on U.S. Senator Ted Cruz for a sit-down. It was a move that, let's just say, didn't exactly win over the hometown crowd.
The Texas Republican spent the bulk of his interview with host Rece Davis discussing the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan bill he co-authored with Senator Maria Cantwell. Cruz argued that the current landscape of college athletics—especially the transfer portal and NIL deals—is pure chaos that needs a federal fix.
“There are no rules, and the situation with the transfer portal, where kids go and transfer two, three, four, five times, it’s terrible for the game. It’s terrible for the players. It’s terrible for the schools, and it’s terrible for the families,” Cruz told Davis, via AL.com. “And so, the reason Congress is acting is because Congress created this problem. It was the federal antitrust laws that were used to bring the lawsuits that struck down all the rules, and so the Protect College Sports Act is bipartisan legislation that’s very simple.”
“It brings order to chaos,” he added. “It protects the students, protects the student’s ability to be compensated to receive name, image, and likeness compensation, I think that’s only fair. It’s only right.”
But while Cruz was trying to make his case, the fans in Austin were having none of it. Almost immediately, the crowd erupted in boos, and then the chants started: “Ted, you suck!” The noise didn't let up until Cruz finally left the set, making it painfully clear that the senator wasn't exactly the most popular guy in the building.
The reception was so hostile that it even caught the attention of fans who were watching at home, many of whom took to social media to weigh in on the awkward moment.
Not everyone was against Cruz, though. Alabama legend Nick Saban, who appeared on the show earlier, threw his support behind the bill. “I’m a big proponent of the Protect College Sports Act,” Saban said. “I think it puts some guardrails and gives us an opportunity for leadership that can implement some rules that will control transferring, five years of eligibility, a little bit of control, a cap in terms of how much players can make, which is still a significant amount, which I’m all for. So there’s a lot of good things in this, and I think it’s 80% good, not perfect, but it will help college sports and give us some guidelines of how we move forward in the future.”
The Senate is expected to vote on the bill between Sept. 15-23, and with Saban's backing, it has at least one powerful voice in its corner. But if the reaction in Austin is any indication, Cruz might want to avoid any more college football road trips anytime soon. The crowd's message was loud and clear—and it wasn't exactly a warm welcome.
