Protect College Sports Act: Senators pushing for cap on coaching salary in latest version of bill

Two senators introduced an amendment that would cap coaches' salaries at $5 million in a move that could derail the bill's bipartisan momentum Sep 23, 2026 at 2:57 pm ET • 1 min read Could the days of booming coaching salaries actually come to a halt? If two Democratic Senators get their wish, yes.Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced an amendment Wednesday to the Protect College Sports Act that would cap coaching compensation at $5 million annually.In a section labeled "Salary Cap for Coaches," the two senators introduce a clause that states "An institution may not provide compensation to a coach of a varsity sports team that exceeds $5,000,000 per year." It would apply to any coach who agrees to a contract "on or after the date of the enactment of this Act." In theory, an amendment like that being included could have a significant impact on the market. Coaching salaries have zoomed far past the $5 million figure as institutions invest more and more in hopes of finding a winner. Forty-seven coaches made $5 million or more last season, according to USA Today's coaching salaries database. This season, there are 14 coaches who make $10 million or more, with Indiana's Curt Cignetti ($13.2 million), Georgia's Kirby Smart ($13 million) and LSU's Lane Kiffin ($13 million) leading the way. It's safe to say those coaches (and their agents) wouldn't want to take 60 percent pay cuts in the future. It would impact college basketball, too, with 15 coaches making $5 million or more, according to USA Today's database. It's important to note a couple of things. One, it is considered very unlikely that this specific amendment will be included in the final bill. It has been a long, drawn-out process just to get to this moment, with a realistic chance of passing the bill in the Senate this week. Putting an arbitrary cap on coach compensation would create dissension and hurt the bill's chances of being approved -- perhaps the point -- something that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) will want to avoid. It would face antitrust challenges for artificially restricting free market competition. The hope headed into the week is that the PCSA could formally pass as early as the end of this week. It would then have to pass the House of Representatives, which isn't expected to take on a vote until after the November midterm elections. Murphy and Booker have emerged as two of the most vocal critics of the bill that has earned bipartisan support in early procedural votes.