Ted Cruz’s Free Market Problem: Why College Sports Changed Everything

Senator Ted Cruz just got the Senate to pass the Protect College Sports Act, 77 to 22. So yeah, there were a lot of Democrats in there. Here's what it does in plain English. It gives the NCAA new power to set rules on what college athletes can earn from their name, image, and likeness. It lets the NCAA limit transfers and bring back its 5-years-to-play rule. And it gives the NCAA limited protection from antitrust lawsuits over those rules. Translation: you can't sue them for doing the thing they're about to do to you. Now remember who Ted Cruz is. He's the free market guy, individual liberty, throw off the yoke of socialism. He once read Green Eggs and Ham on the Senate floor to fight big government. And now Ted Cruz has discovered the beauties of central planning. Turns out he loves collectivism. He just wants it for 19-year-olds. Look at the system. Head coach? Free market. 8-figure salary. Buyout big enough to fund a small navy. TV networks? Free market. Billions. Conference commissioner? Free market. The kid getting his skull rattled on 3rd and 2? Whoa, whoa, let's not get greedy. It's capitalism for coaches and Soviet-style socialism for players. They even brought back the 5-year plan.