Ted Cruz Booed Mercilessly By College Football Crowd

Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz walked into a wall of jeers Saturday morning as thousands of college football fans turned his television appearance into a public roast.

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Cruz sat down with host Rece Davis for a segment lasting close to 10 minutes on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” staged in Austin ahead of the clash between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 4 Texas. Chants of “Ted, you suck!” rang out from the crowd, and the Houston Chronicle reported that fans also shouted “Get him off” during the roughly nine-minute interview.

Cruz kept his focus on the Protect College Sports Act, the measure he arrived to promote. He never responded to the hecklers, the Chronicle reported, despite standing on a campus where fewer than 20% of voters backed him in his 2024 re-election bid. He wore a burnt orange blazer for the occasion. (RELATED: Sen. Ted Cuz, Maria Cantwell Announce Deal To Save College Sports … Maybe)

The senator laid out a bleak outlook for the sport if lawmakers fail to intervene. “So the reason Congress is acting is because Congress created this problem,” Cruz said, pointing to federal antitrust law as a driver of disorder. He warned of steep losses ahead. “If we don’t act within three to five years we’re going to see 40 to 50 schools that have competitive football programs and everyone else is going to go under,” he said.

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The bill would set national standards for name, image and likeness deals, functioning as a rights framework for student athletes, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Cruz co-authored it with Democratic Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, and Yahoo Sports reported it must clear 60 votes in the Senate, pass the House and win a presidential signature to become law. A Senate vote is expected this week.

Saturday’s segment was the second straight week “GameDay” featured the legislation, following a discussion between Nick Saban and Pat McAfee, Yahoo Sports reported. The push has drawn opposition from Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy. Cruz voiced strong confidence the bill would pass.

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