Cruz appeared on ESPN’s Saturday morning pregame show ahead of No. 4 Texas’ matchup vs. No. 1 Ohio State and was met with loud boos while discussing the Protect College Sports Act, according to Sports Illustrated. Video shared by Awful Announcing showed the Texas Republican being booed during the segment, with some in the crowd chanting, “Ted, you suck!”
The segment lasted nearly 10 minutes, according to Awful Announcing, and featured Cruz speaking with host Rece Davis about the college sports bill.
The Protect College Sports Act is a federal proposal backed by Cruz and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., aimed at setting national rules around college athletics, including name, image and likeness deals, transfers and eligibility. Cruz has argued the bill is needed to bring order to college sports, while critics have raised concerns over athlete compensation and federal involvement.
Saturday’s appearance came during one of the most expensive and hyped college football weekends in Austin this season. Texas and Ohio State entered the game as top-five teams, with fans packing the GameDay set before the primetime matchup at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
The College GameDay crowd had its own review before kickoff.