The U.S. Senate votes Monday, Sept. 28, on a bill that would write missionary-service exemptions into federal college-eligibility law.

The Protect College Sports Act (PCSA), introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), would codify a five-year eligibility window starting the year an athlete turns 19 or finishes high school. Missionary service, military stints and pregnancies would not count against that clock. The NCAA adopted a similar "five for five" rule in June, but the bill would make the exemption federal statute.

That provision carries outsized weight at Brigham Young University. BYU's 2026 football roster includes 64 returned missionaries who served in 29 countries and speak 15 languages, the Deseret News reported Aug. 24. About 25 of those players appear on the two-deep depth chart, including starting tight end Walker Lyons, who served in Oslo, Norway. Head coach Kalani Sitake served a mission in Oakland, California, in the mid-1990s.

Sitake told the Deseret News on Tuesday, Sept. 22, that he sees merit on both sides.

"I see some really good things with it. I understand why all the coaches are promoting it, and I can understand why some people would be hesitant towards it," Sitake said.

He added that whether the bill passes or not, BYU will find a way to make it work.

The Senate voted 70-21 on Tuesday, Sept. 22, to end debate on the bill and 77-23 on Thursday, Sept. 24, to approve a substitute amendment, according to the Deseret News. Monday's final vote needs 51 to pass.

Beyond the eligibility exemption, the PCSA would cap school-to-athlete revenue sharing. Figures vary by source: the Deseret News cited roughly $21.58 million in direct payments plus a $27.5 million retention pool, while Front Office Sports reported a total near $48 million combining base, retention and Olympic-sport allocations. The bill would also limit athletes to one transfer without a sit-out year and provide five years of post-eligibility health care.

BYU President C. Shane Reese backed the legislation in an August op-ed, arguing that faith-based institutions should advocate for integrity and educational values in college athletics. More than 20 conferences, including the Power Four, support the bill, according to Reese's op-ed.

Not everyone agrees.

Matt Brown, author of the Extra Points newsletter, told the Deseret News he thinks the bill is "a sledgehammer being used where maybe a scalpel might be more appropriate." Brown said the revenue cap would drive down elite athlete compensation without limiting coaching salaries or vendor costs. The NAACP formally opposed the bill in August, with President Derrick Johnson calling it a measure "about exploiting student athletes," Cronkite News reported.

Even if the Senate passes the bill Monday, the House is not scheduled to reconvene until Nov. 9, and no House vote date has been set. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), a cosponsor, said the bill has "support in the House, with the President," according to KRCG.

BYU, ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25 at 3-0, plays at TCU on Saturday, Oct. 3.