Protect College Sports Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- S. 4668
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Sports and Recreation
- Status
- Passed Senate
- Latest Action
- 2026-10-05: Held at the desk.
- Last Updated
- 2026-10-07T11:42:24Z
AI-Generated Summary
Protect College Sports Act of 2026 (S. 4668)
Purpose This legislation establishes a federal framework to protect the name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights of student athletes, provide additional safeguards in academics, health, and transfers, regulate agents and compensation, promote competitive balance in college sports, and support broadcasting and infrastructure for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). It creates antitrust protections for certain association rules while requiring congressional approval for ongoing revenue limits.
Key Provisions
- NIL Rights and Compensation (Title I, Secs. 101–104, 114): Student athletes may earn compensation for NIL through agreements, with mandatory disclosures for amounts over $600. Institutions may facilitate or provide NIL pay within a revenue share cap (tied to a court settlement) plus a limited retention fund. Prohibits pay before enrollment and requires valid business purposes for third-party deals.
- Agent Regulation and Oversight (Secs. 102–103): Amends the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act to require written contracts, cap agent fees at 5%, mandate state registration, and create a private right of action for violations. Associations must maintain public agent registries.
- Academic and Health Protections (Secs. 105–108): Bans interference with coursework or majors; protects scholarships from performance-based revocation; requires medical coverage for injuries (including post-eligibility) and a catastrophic injury fund; establishes safety standards for concussions, heat illness, and other risks; creates an independent Student Athlete Ombudsman office.
- Transfers and Eligibility (Secs. 112–113): Allows one free transfer without eligibility loss; permits additional transfers for coach departure, sexual misconduct, or graduate study. Sets a five-year eligibility limit with exceptions and uniform academic standards.
- Revenue Sharing and Governance (Secs. 114–116, 125–126): Caps institutional NIL payments to student athletes; requires congressional approval via joint resolution to continue the cap or retention fund after settlement expiration. Creates a Commission on the Future of College Athletics and mandates student-athlete representation on association boards. Protects women's and Olympic sports by limiting reductions in teams and scholarships.
- Antitrust and Enforcement (Secs. 118–121): Provides safe harbors from antitrust laws for associations enforcing NIL, transfer, eligibility, and recruitment rules. Allows private lawsuits for violations of athlete protections; preempts conflicting state laws on NIL and eligibility while preserving tort, criminal, and consumer protection claims.
- Broadcasting Reforms (Title II): Amends the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 to extend antitrust exemptions to college sports joint agreements meeting membership, voting, revenue-sharing, and rivalry-preservation requirements. Requires market-level local broadcast options and prohibits certain large-conference mergers.
- HBCU Support (Title III): Authorizes grants for broadband, media production, and sports broadcast infrastructure at HBCUs, with priority for entities with limited resources.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Modifies the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act to impose stricter contract and fee rules plus new private enforcement.
- Expands the Sports Broadcasting Act to cover collegiate sports with new conditions for joint media rights sales.
- Creates the first comprehensive federal NIL regime, overriding portions of state NIL laws and establishing disclosure databases.
- Introduces antitrust exemptions and fast-track congressional procedures for revenue caps, which were previously governed by private litigation settlements.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases federal court and congressional involvement in college sports governance; requires ongoing oversight of revenue caps and foreign financing disclosures.
- Citizens/Student Athletes: Expands earning opportunities and protections against exploitation, with better medical care and transfer flexibility, but subjects athletes to new reporting and eligibility rules.
- Colleges and Conferences: Limits total NIL spending, mandates maintenance of non-revenue sports, and provides legal protection for rule enforcement while imposing new compliance costs.
- International Relations: Requires disclosure of foreign government or adversary funding in athletics.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Current and prospective student athletes
- NCAA and other intercollegiate athletic associations
- Conferences and member colleges/universities
- Athlete agents and collectives
- Broadcasters and media companies
- HBCUs and their athletic programs
- Coaches and athletic department staff
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Creates targeted antitrust exemptions that could face challenges regarding delegation of regulatory power or unequal treatment of institutions.
- Preempts state NIL and eligibility laws, raising federalism questions.
- Includes a Title IX savings clause and explicit protections for women's and Olympic sports to address equity concerns.
- Maintains neutrality on whether student athletes are employees, avoiding direct resolution of labor law issues.
- Requires periodic congressional approval for revenue limits, embedding legislative oversight into what was previously a judicial settlement.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (9)
Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA], Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO], Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE], Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT], Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV], Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO], Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE], Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND], Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
Recent Actions
- 2026-10-05: Held at the desk.
- 2026-10-05: Received in the House.
- 2026-10-05: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- 2026-09-28: Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 77 - 22. Record Vote Number: 250. (text: CR S5044-5063) (Roll call 250)
- 2026-09-28: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 77 - 22. Record Vote Number: 250. (text: CR S5044-5063) (Roll call 250)
- 2026-09-28: Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S5021-5064)
- 2026-09-24: The committee substitute tabled by Voice Vote.
- 2026-09-24: Cloture on the measure, as amended, invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 74 - 25. Record Vote Number: 243. (Roll call 243)
- 2026-09-24: Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S4959-4962)
- 2026-09-23: Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S4885)
- 2026-09-22: Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S4851)
- 2026-09-22: Motion by Senator Thune to recommit to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment (SA 6781) fell when cloture was invoked on amendment SA 6776 in Senate.
- 2026-09-17: Cloture motion on the measure presented in Senate. (CR S4789)
- 2026-09-17: Motion by Senator Thune to recommit to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment (SA 6781) made in Senate. (CR S4789)
- 2026-09-17: Measure laid before Senate by motion. (consideration: CR S4777-4790)
Bill Versions
- Protect College Sports Act of 2026 — issued 2026-09-28 — PDF (180 pages)
- Protect College Sports Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-02 — PDF (111 pages)
- Protect College Sports Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-24 — PDF (230 pages)