US Senate rejects amendment on ticket price cap — The Hill

The US Senate on Monday evening rejected an amendment by Republican Senator John Kennedy that would have limited annual ticket price increases for student sports competitions to 4%. According to The Hill, 42 senators voted for the proposal and 54 voted against it. At least 60 votes were required for its adoption.

Amendment to the bill

Kennedy proposed an amendment to the Protect College Sports Act, a sweeping bill that would change the rules for compensation, recruitment and eligibility for student-athletes. The senator argued that the measure would benefit college sports programs and coaches, while fans would continue to pay increasingly more for American football and basketball games.

Speaking in the Senate, Kennedy said that fans are the ones who provide the cash flows in college sports. He also said that ticket prices sometimes rise by 30–40%.

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Arguments of opponents

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman, Republican Senator Ted Cruz, opposed the initiative. According to him, the amendment would introduce price controls on sports tickets without distinguishing between large and small educational institutions, as well as different sports. Cruz said this would prevent institutions from responding to changes in market conditions.

As Axios, cited by The Hill, reported, the average price of a ticket to a college American football game rose from $59 in 2015 to $129 in 2025. Sports Illustrated, according to The Hill, also reported that the cost of attending football games at the University of Texas increased by more than 45% over a year, and at the University of Tennessee by more than 60%.