Ted Cruz had barely started making his case when the College GameDay crowd made it clear that it did not want to hear it. The Texas senator appeared on the ESPN set Saturday to promote the Protect College Sports Act. He was surrounded by the noise of a college football crowd rather than the usual studio silence.

Boos kept coming from behind him as he tried to explain why Congress should take control of rules that have increasingly been decided in courtrooms. Cruz did not stop.

“Congress is acting because Congress created the problem,” he said, arguing that federal antitrust laws helped produce the lawsuits that have knocked down NCAA restrictions. He then pitched the bill as a way to establish a single national framework rather than letting college sports continue under court decisions and competing rules. The crowd was not buying the presentation.

Cruz’s appearance came after GameDay had already spent time pushing the same legislation. Pat McAfee and Nick Saban backed the need for more rules during the show’s discussion of LSU’s attempt to bring former NFL players back into college football. Saban called the idea of an NFL player returning to college “absolutely crazy,” while Cruz later used the segment to argue that Congress was the answer.

“It brings order to chaos and protects the students,” Cruz said as Longhorns’ booes continued loudly in the background. “It protects the students’ ability to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness. I mean, that’s only fair; it’s only right. They’re producing enormous value and an enormous gift. But it also means that the rules should be in place.”

Cruz’s bill is designed to stop situations like LSU from being decided piecemeal. But it is much bigger than eligibility. The Protect College Sports Act would create a federal NIL framework, establish a five-year eligibility structure, limit athletes to one penalty-free transfer, regulate recruiting and NIL agreements, and provide targeted antitrust protection to the NCAA and other governing bodies. It would also extend the revenue-sharing framework created by the House settlement. However, critics see the antitrust provisions differently.

They say the bill could take away some of the legal options athletes have used to fight NCAA rules. Those court cases have already forced the NCAA to give up some of the control it once had. The NCAA’s transfer and compensation rules have faced several antitrust challenges. Those cases played a major role in changing the rules around what athletes can do and what the NCAA can restrict.

The legislation would also establish national eligibility and transfer rules instead of allowing different state laws and court decisions to dictate them. Supporters say that would stop the constant legal battles. Critics worry that athletes would lose the flexibility they currently have when changing schools. The bill also puts limits on how often athletes can transfer without penalty. The bill also has an unusual political coalition behind it.

Factors that might have contributed to the crowd’s unending booes

Cruz, a Republican, introduced the PCSA with Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell. The Senate Commerce Committee advanced the legislation in June, and the committee’s latest version was updated again in August. Cruz chairs the committee, while Cantwell serves as its ranking member. Still, the fans in Austin before the Ohio State vs Longhorns matchup had a clear sentiment.

To them, bringing a senator onto a Saturday morning football show to sell legislation feels like dragging Washington into the one place they came to escape it. In fact, the reaction was not subtle. A “Ted Cruz suc-s” chant was also reported during the appearance, making it difficult to hear parts of his pitch. Most importantly, College GameDay has yet to give a platform to critics of the bill.

For instance, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is one of the bill’s fiercest critics. He has said that the bill will keep athletes unpaid. So, if GameDay were acting in an unbiased and neutral way, it should also provide a platform to such entities. That could also be why the booing didn’t stop until Cruz left after his 8-minute appearance.