College Sports Bill Prompts Clash Among Senators, Including Some Ex-Athletes

Senators Cory Booker and Eric Schmitt were both scholarship athletes in college. Now they find themselves on opposite sides of potential landmark legislation the Senate is considering that would impose a sweeping new regulatory framework on collegiate sports.

“While a college student and a player, I saw how unjust the N.C.A.A. is,” Mr. Booker, the New Jersey Democrat and former Stanford tight end who is a leading opponent of the bill, said of the governing body of college athletics. “It is a serial monopolist, controlling an industry over $15 billion strong and rapidly growing.”

Mr. Schmitt, a Missouri Republican who played baseball and football at Truman State University, is one of the proposal’s most ardent supporters and argues that the legislation is the only way to preserve popular college sports that teach valuable life lessons.

“I had the opportunity to play in college and throughout my life,” Mr. Schmitt said on the Senate floor. “When you are on a team, you want to win, and you want to win with your teammates.”

At the moment, Mr. Schmitt’s team is winning big after his colleagues gave the measure two strong, bipartisan shows of support last week, moving it toward Senate passage and an uncertain future in the House. More than 70 senators have backed the bill so far, a significant showing in the sharply split chamber, though some may ultimately vote against it if changes are not made.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.