Protect College Sports Act of 2026
S. 4668119th CongressSports and Recreation
- Introduced
- Jun 2, 2026
- Latest action
- Held at the desk.
- Oct 5, 2026
Recorded votes
Bills often get several votes: on amendments, procedural motions, and final passage. Open one to see how every member voted.
senateS. 4668
Protect College Sports Act of 2026Vote on a proposed change. Amendment: S.Amdt. 6835 — To establish certain standards with respect to coaches of varsity sports teams.Amendment Rejected47–52senateS. 4668
Protect College Sports Act of 2026Vote on a proposed change. Amendment: S.Amdt. 6805 — To increase the limitation on funding for post-eligibility insurance and catastrophic injury for student athletes.Amendment Rejected49–50senateS. 4668
Protect College Sports Act of 2026Vote on a proposed change. Amendment: S.Amdt. 6760 — To limit price increases for college athletics tickets.Amendment Rejected42–54senateS. 4668
Protect College Sports Act of 2026Vote on a proposed change. Amendment: S.Amdt. 6758 — To improve the bill.Amendment Rejected1–94senateS. 4668
Protect College Sports Act of 2026Vote on a proposed change. Amendment: S.Amdt. 6828 — To modify the provision relating to the relationship of this Act to existing law.Amendment Agreed to96–1senateS. 4668
Protect College Sports Act of 2026Vote on a proposed change. Amendment: S.Amdt. 6776 — In the nature of a substitute.Amendment Agreed to77–23senateS. 4668
Protect College Sports Act of 2026Vote to end debate. Amendment: S.Amdt. 6776 — In the nature of a substitute.Cloture Motion Agreed to70–21senateS. 4668
Protect College Sports Act of 2026Vote to end debateCloture on the Motion to Proceed Agreed to74–24
Summary
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.
Protect College Sports Act of 2026
This bill establishes requirements for name, image, or likeness (NIL) agreements for college student athletes and provides a limited antitrust exemption for schools and conferences to pool and sell certain college sports media rights. The requirements address elements of the court-approved agreement to settle In re College Athlete NIL Litigation (i.e., House settlement).
First, the bill statutorily prohibits institutions, conferences, or interstate intercollegiate athletic associations (e.g., the National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA]) from restricting student athletes from entering NIL agreements (subject to specified limitations). Students must report to their institution NIL compensation greater than $600.
The bill requires agents to register with a state and caps agent endorsement contract fees at 5%.
The bill also provides student athletes with one transfer without losing athletic eligibility and restricts football personnel from becoming the head football coach at a different institution during the same season.
Further, the bill prohibits institutions, conferences, or specified entities acting for the benefit of an institution from providing athletes with compensation that circumvents the limit on sharing revenue with student athletes established under the House settlement. The bill also makes the limit permanent and provides for an annual inflation adjustment.
The bill generally prohibits Division I conferences from reducing the number of varsity or Olympic sports teams that a member institution must sponsor. Specifically, large institutions ($80 million or more in annual athletics revenue) must offer and maintain at least as many grant-in-aid opportunities and roster spots for sports that do not generate positive net revenue as the institution provided during academic year 2024-25. The bill provides for a waiver of this requirement under certain circumstances of financial hardship and the requirements expire nine years after the enactment of the bill.
Additionally, the bill establishes (subject to specified conditions) a limited antitrust exemption for institutions or conferences that form joint agreements to transfer their sports telecasting rights to a third party. Such an agreement requires participation from at least 75% of the institutions in the Football Bowl Subdivision.