S. 4668
Protect College Sports Act of 2026
Official summary
Written by the 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.
Text of the bill
I Protections of student athletes and fair competition
II Sports broadcasting
Where this section came from
-
Jun 2, 2026 · Introduced in Senate Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Jun 2
-
Sep 28, 2026 · Engrossed in Senate S.Amdt. 6779: To improve the bill. Official page › S.Amdt. 6777: To improve the bill. Official page › S.Amdt. 6776: In the nature of a substitute. Official page › S.Amdt. 6831: To modify the prohibition on certain conference mergers and acquisitions. Official page › S.Amdt. 6830: To require the disclosure of foreign financing of intercollegiate athletics. Official page › S.Amdt. 6828: To modify the provision relating to the relationship of this Act to existing law. Official page › On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed — Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Agreed to, 74–24 · Roll Call 235On the Motion to Proceed — Motion to Proceed Agreed to, 77–22 · Roll Call 236On the Cloture Motion — Cloture Motion Agreed to, 70–21 · Roll Call 240On the Amendment — Amendment Agreed to, 77–23 · Roll Call 242On the Cloture Motion — Cloture Motion Agreed to, 74–25 · Roll Call 243On the Amendment — Amendment Agreed to, 96–1 · Roll Call 245On the Amendment — Amendment Rejected, 1–94 · Roll Call 246On the Amendment — Amendment Rejected, 42–54 · Roll Call 247On the Amendment — Amendment Rejected, 49–50 · Roll Call 248On the Amendment — Amendment Rejected, 47–52 · Roll Call 249On Passage of the Bill — Bill Passed, 77–22 · Roll Call 250
… 3 unchanged passages …
(a)
In
Violation
general
of antitrust laws
. It shall be unlawful under the antitrust laws, as defined in section 1(a), for
— (1)
any
covered
conference that reported more than $
1
700
,000,000
,000
in revenue on its fiscal year 2025 tax return
or any subsequent tax return
to
— (A)
merge or consolidate with, or
to
acquire the assets
,
or
media rights
of, another covered conference or a covered institution, if as a result of the transaction, the number of institutions that are members of the covered conference would be less than 75 percent of the institutions participating in the Football Bowl Subdivision, as defined by Bylaw 20.9.9 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association; or
(
including
B) acquire the assets or
media rights of an institution
), or
that
membership
is
of,
not
another
a
conference
covered institution
,
if
unless,
as a result of the transaction, the number of institutions that are members of the
covered
conference
would
does
be
not
less
exceed
than
20 institutions; or (2) any entity to merge with, acquire, or consolidate
the
membership
assets
requirements
or
under
media
section
rights
5(b)(1)(A).
of a covered institution, or multiple covered institutions, for the purpose of creating a new conference or intercollegiate athletic association.
… 2 unchanged passages …
(d) No impact on covered entity. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the creation of the covered entity under section 5.
(e) Applicability. Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to apply to a covered conference that—
(1) is in existence on the date of enactment of this section or a subsidiary of such covered conference; and
(2) has not reported more than $700,000,000 on its fiscal year 2025 tax return or any subsequent tax return.
(f) Definitions. In this section:
(1) Covered conference. The term covered conference means a conference, the primary athletic revenue of which is derived from the sale or transfer of media rights relating to intercollegiate football.
(2) Covered institution. The term covered institution—
(A) for purposes of subsection (a)(1)—
(i) during the 6-year period beginning on the date of enactment of the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, means an institution that has, at least once in the preceding 3 years, competed in intercollegiate football as a member of a covered conference that reported more than $700,000,000 in revenue on its fiscal year 2025 tax return or any subsequent tax return; and
(ii) after the termination of the period described in clause (i), means an institution that, as of the day before the date of a transaction described in subsection (a)(1), competes in intercollegiate football as a member of a covered conference that reported more than $700,000,000 in revenue on its fiscal year 2025 tax return or any subsequent tax return; and
(B) for purposes of subsection (a)(2), means an institution that has, at least once in the preceding 5 years, competed in intercollegiate football as a member of a covered conference that reported more than $700,000,000 in revenue on its fiscal year 2025 tax return or any subsequent tax return.
]
The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 is amended by inserting after section 6 (as added by section 204 of this Act) the following:
7. Prohibition on certain conference mergers and acquisitions
(a) Violation of antitrust laws. It shall be unlawful under the antitrust laws, as defined in section 1(a), for—
(1) any covered conference that reported more than $700,000,000 in revenue on its fiscal year 2025 tax return or any subsequent tax return to—
(A) merge or consolidate with, or acquire the assets or media rights of, another covered conference or a covered institution, if as a result of the transaction, the number of institutions that are members of the covered conference would be less than 75 percent of the institutions participating in the Football Bowl Subdivision, as defined by Bylaw 20.9.9 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association; or
(B) acquire the assets or media rights of an institution that is not a covered institution, unless, as a result of the transaction, the number of institutions that are members of the covered conference does not exceed 20 institutions; or
(2) any entity to merge with, acquire, or consolidate the assets or media rights of a covered institution, or multiple covered institutions, for the purpose of creating a new conference or intercollegiate athletic association.
(b) Defenses not applicable. A transaction prohibited under subsection (a) may not be justified by efficiencies, procompetitive effects, or any other defense under the antitrust laws, as defined in section 1(a).
(c) Effect. Any transaction consummated in violation of subsection (a) shall be void.
(d) No impact on covered entity. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the creation of the covered entity under section 5.
(e) Applicability. Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to apply to a covered conference that—
(1) is in existence on the date of enactment of this section or a subsidiary of such covered conference; and
(2) has not reported more than $700,000,000 on its fiscal year 2025 tax return or any subsequent tax return.
(f) Definitions. In this section:
(1) Covered conference. The term covered conference means a conference, the primary athletic revenue of which is derived from the sale or transfer of media rights relating to intercollegiate football.
(2) Covered institution. The term covered institution—
(A) for purposes of subsection (a)(1)—
(i) during the 6-year period beginning on the date of enactment of the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, means an institution that has, at least once in the preceding 3 years, competed in intercollegiate football as a member of a covered conference that reported more than $700,000,000 in revenue on its fiscal year 2025 tax return or any subsequent tax return; and
(ii) after the termination of the period described in clause (i), means an institution that, as of the day before the date of a transaction described in subsection (a)(1), competes in intercollegiate football as a member of a covered conference that reported more than $700,000,000 in revenue on its fiscal year 2025 tax return or any subsequent tax return; and
(B) for purposes of subsection (a)(2), means an institution that has, at least once in the preceding 5 years, competed in intercollegiate football as a member of a covered conference that reported more than $700,000,000 in revenue on its fiscal year 2025 tax return or any subsequent tax return.
III HBCU Sports Media and Connectivity Program