Protect College Sports Act of 2026
Jun 4, 2026
Introduced: Jun 4, 2026
Jun 4, 2026
Introduced: Jun 4, 2026
Full breakdown available
This pages provides a high-level overview of this bill. For full list of provisions, line-item appropriations, and specific funding allocations, please view our detailed breakdown.
Summary
Creates national rules for student athletes to get paid for their name, image, and likeness (NIL), and sets standards for health, safety, and fair play.
What problem does this solve?
Different states have different rules for how college athletes can be paid, which creates confusion and unfairness. This bill creates one set of federal rules for all states to follow, covering athlete pay, health care, and transfers to make college sports more consistent and fair.
What does this bill do?
Reference
Text:
Section:
Sec. 101(a)
Header:
Student athlete name, image, and likeness compensation
Protects athlete rights to earn money
Allows student athletes to earn money from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). Prevents schools, conferences, and athletic associations from punishing athletes for signing NIL deals.
Creates a public database for NIL deals
Requires athletic associations to create a public, anonymous database of NIL agreements. This helps athletes and agents understand the fair market value for different types of deals.
Mandates long-term medical coverage for injuries
Requires top-division schools to pay for all out-of-pocket medical costs for sports-related injuries. This coverage must last for five years after the athlete's last competition.
Grants limited protection from antitrust lawsuits
Shields athletic associations, conferences, and schools from certain antitrust lawsuits when they enforce the bill's rules on athlete pay, eligibility, transfers, and recruiting.
Sets a cap on athlete pay from schools
Establishes and extends a 'revenue share cap' that limits the total amount of compensation a school can provide to its athletes, based on a recent court settlement.
Establishes national transfer rules
Creates a standard set of rules for when athletes can transfer between schools. Allows a first-time transfer without penalty and adds exceptions for coaching changes or if a sport is discontinued.
Creates an independent office to help athletes
Requires athletic associations to create an Office of the Student Athlete Ombudsman. This office will provide free, confidential advice to athletes about their rights and help resolve disputes.
Protects athlete scholarships
Prohibits schools from taking away an athlete's scholarship due to an injury, athletic performance, or a team's decision to cut them from the roster.
Reference
Text:
Section:
Sec. 202
Header:
Limitation on liability for transmission of collegiate sports competitions
Allows collective selling of TV rights
Amends the Sports Broadcasting Act to allow schools and conferences to form a single group to sell their media rights together, which could increase their value.
Establishes a commission to study the future of college sports
Creates a Congressional Commission to study major issues in college sports, including whether athletes should be considered employees, and to recommend future laws.
Who does this affect?
- Student athletes
- Colleges and universities
- Intercollegiate athletic associations (e.g., NCAA)
What is the real world impact?
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Creates a single national standard for college sports
Replaces the confusing mix of different state laws with one federal rulebook. This makes it easier for athletes, schools, and conferences to understand the rules for athlete pay, transfers, and recruiting, no matter where they are.
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Establishes new health and academic protections for athletes
Requires schools to cover medical costs for sports injuries for up to five years after an athlete leaves school. Also protects athlete scholarships from being cut due to injury or poor performance and ensures they can choose their own major.
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Allows schools and conferences to collectively sell media rights
Changes broadcasting laws to let schools and conferences team up to sell their TV and streaming rights as a single package. This could lead to larger media deals, with rules in place to share the money and protect historic rivalries.
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Gives athletic associations protection from lawsuits
Provides organizations like the NCAA with limited protection from antitrust lawsuits. This allows them to enforce rules about athlete pay caps, eligibility, and transfers without the same legal risk they currently face.
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Limits how much athletes can be paid by schools
Establishes a 'revenue share cap' that limits the total amount of money a school can pay its athletes. While it creates a system for payment, this cap could prevent athletes from earning their full market value and may be seen as a way for schools and the NCAA to control costs and maintain power.
When does this start?
This bill takes effect as soon as it becomes law and includes several deadlines for new requirements.
Health and safety standards implementation
Schools, conferences, and athletic associations must follow new health and safety standards within 270 days of the bill becoming law.
Reference
Text:
Section:
Sec. 104(a)(1)
Header:
Disclosure of data on name, image, and likeness agreements
First NIL data disclosure by schools
Schools must report anonymized data on their athletes' NIL deals by July 1 of the first year after the bill becomes law.
NIL database creation
Athletic associations must create and launch the public NIL database by September of the first year after the bill becomes law.
Commission on College Athletics report
The new commission must submit its report with recommendations for the future of college sports to Congress within five years of the bill becoming law.