The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan bill establishing national rules for college sports in a 77-22 vote on Monday night.

Sept. 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate on Monday night passed a bipartisan bill establishing national rules for college sports that would give schools and athletic associations greater legal protection to enforce limits on athlete compensation while expanding medical and scholarship protections for athletes.

The bill, known as the Protect College Sports Act, passed in a 77-22 vote and will go to the House for consideration.

Sponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the legislation specifically sets rules governing income athletes can earn from the use of their name, image and likeness as well as protecting their ability to retain agents and legal representation without losing eligibility, protecting their scholarships and ensuring Division I schools cover sporks out-of-pocket costs for sports-related injuries during athletes' participation and for five years after their final competition.

The bill would give schools and athletic associations limited protection from antitrust lawsuits when enforcing specified rules, preempt certain state rules on NIL, transfers and eligibility and permit a voluntary arrangement to pool and sell some broadcast rights.

Speaking from the floor on Monday, Cruz framed his bill as one that would clean up a college sports system that has been thrown into disarray by court cases and NIL deals, threatening opportunities for student athletes.

"Will we protect the future of women's sports, of Olympic sports, of non-revenue sports, or allow college athletics to be consumed by uncontrollable bidding wars that force schools to cut programs simply because they don't generate headlines or massive televisions contracts?" he asked.

"The answer to this question should be simple: We must act, and we must act now. We must pass the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act. This bill puts an end to the chaos plaguing college athletics."

President Donald Trump was among those who celebrated the bill's passing, calling it "a really big deal."

"It will not only save college sports, it will save the colleges themselves," he said on his Truth Social media platform.

However, many have voiced opposition to the bill, and its future in the House is uncertain.

The AFL-CIO labor federation has criticized the legislation as stripping away the little power that student athletes have only recently gained. Meanwhile, the NAACP said it opposed the bill, arguing that it would shield schools and conferences from legal accountability while they profit form Black athletes and remain silent as Black voting rights come under attack in their states.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., chastised the bill from the floor Monday, saying that it does nothing to limit the amount of money in college sports, only limits athletes' right to earn it. He characterized the bill as an attempt to undo historic gains in compenstaion for athletes and shift the proceeds to coaches, conferences and corporate executives.

"The crisis, it appears to me, is pretty simple: Young athletes who perform a service that would be worth billions in the free market are finally getting what they lawfully deserve ... And the industry had two choices: they could either work out a new set of rules with the athletes ... or they could come to Congress and get their illegal system deemed legal. That's what they are essentially doing here today," he said.