U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) was booed by a crowd of football fans during a televised interview on Saturday, September 12, 2026. The incident occurred in Austin, Texas, while Cruz was appearing on ESPN’s "College GameDay" program to discuss a piece of federal legislation.
The senator appeared on the show for a nearly 10-minute segment with host Rece Davis. During the interview, members of the crowd chanted, "Ted, you suck!" The chanting and boos continued as Cruz spoke about the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan bill he co-authored that aims to regulate college athletics.
The proposed legislation seeks to establish a cap on payments to student-athletes and introduce new limits on how often players can transfer between schools. Cruz addressed the crowd's reaction on social media later that day, using football terminology to describe his response. He stated that the "whole crowd came on a blitz" and that he "stayed in the pocket" without flinching during the segment.
The change for student-athletes would be a limit on the payments they can receive. Additionally, students would face rules when attempting to transfer.
What happens next is focused on the legislative process. Senator Cruz encouraged citizens to contact their senators to support the bill. Following the television appearance, Cruz attended the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes, where the Longhorns won after a 20-point comeback. The senator subsequently posted a photo with actor Matthew McConaughey to address speculation regarding a "curse" on teams he supports.