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
Where this section came from
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Jun 2, 2026 · Introduced in Senate Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Jun 2
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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
(a) In general. Each Division I institution, as defined by bylaw 20.9 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or a successor bylaw, each institution whose primary membership is in Division II or Division III (as so defined) only with respect to student athletes of the institution who compete in Division I, or an intercollegiate athletic association or conference comprised of Division I member institutions shall provide or cause to be provided—
… 5 unchanged passages …
(2)
with respect to a student athlete enrolled at the institution during their last year of eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletic competition,
for the 5-year period beginning on the
date
day
after the last intercollegiate competition for the student athlete, the cost of all out-of-pocket medical expenses of the student athlete for health care coverage for any injury or disease incurred through participation in an intercollegiate sport. (b) Intercollegiate athletic association post-
Eligibility
eligibility
insurance and catastrophic injury fund or program.
… 2 unchanged passages …
(B) post-eligibility medical expenses for
the student athletes of
a member institution
’s student
who
athletes
are
diagnosed with significant long-term conditions related to their participation in an intercollegiate sport, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy and any other cognitive impairment. (2) Amount of fund.
The
(A) In general. Subject to increases under subparagraph (B) and the limitation under subparagraph (C), the
intercollegiate athletic association described in this subsection shall ensure that the fund or program established under this subsection is funded at an amount that totals
at
not
least
less than
$60,000,000 on the first day of each academic year.
(B) Subsequent increase. Subject to the limitation under subparagraph (C), if the amount funded for the fund or program established under this subsection is depleted for an academic year, that amount for the next academic year shall be increased by $5,000,000 as compared to the amount for the previous academic year. (C) Limitation. The amount funded for the fund or program established under this subsection shall not exceed $100,000,000.
… 1 unchanged passage …
(c) Rule of construction. Nothing in this section may be construed to preclude
— (1)
an intercollegiate athletic association
,
from—
conference,
(1)
or institution from
providing or causing to be provided to student athletes medical coverage in addition to the medical coverage required by subsection (a); or (2)
an intercollegiate athletic association from
exceeding $60,000,000 for the fund or program established in subsection (b) for any academic year.
(a) In general. Each Division I institution, as defined by bylaw 20.9 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or a successor bylaw, each institution whose primary membership is in Division II or Division III (as so defined) only with respect to student athletes of the institution who compete in Division I, or an intercollegiate athletic association or conference comprised of Division I member institutions shall provide or cause to be provided—
(1) during the participation of a student athlete in an intercollegiate sport—
(A) all out-of-pocket medical expenses, such as copayments or deductibles, for the health care coverage of a student athlete for any injury or disease incurred through participation in an intercollegiate sport;
(B) the expense for obtaining a medical second opinion independent of the institution for any injury or disease the student athlete incurred through participation in an intercollegiate sport;
(C) catastrophic injury medical insurance for any injury or disease incurred through participation in an intercollegiate sport that exceeds $90,000 in medical costs; and
(D) an end-of-college physical examination for a student athlete for the purpose of documenting and diagnosing any injury or condition related to the student athlete’s participation in an intercollegiate sport; and
(2) with respect to a student athlete enrolled at the institution during their last year of eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletic competition, for the 5-year period beginning on the day after the last intercollegiate competition for the student athlete, the cost of all out-of-pocket medical expenses of the student athlete for health care coverage for any injury or disease incurred through participation in an intercollegiate sport.
(b) Intercollegiate athletic association post-eligibility insurance and catastrophic injury fund or program
(1) In general. An intercollegiate athletic association comprised of member institutions that compete in Division I, Division II, or Division III, as defined by bylaw 20 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or a successor bylaw, on behalf of its member institutions must establish a fund or program to help cover the cost of—
(A) in the case of a Division I institution that generates less than $20,000,000 in total annual athletics revenue during the preceding academic year, compliance with subsection (a)(2) (or, in the case of a Division II or Division III institution, voluntary compliance with subsection (a)(2)), in the event of demonstrated financial hardship; and
(B) post-eligibility medical expenses for the student athletes of a member institution who are diagnosed with significant long-term conditions related to their participation in an intercollegiate sport, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy and any other cognitive impairment.
(2) Amount of fund
(A) In general. Subject to increases under subparagraph (B) and the limitation under subparagraph (C), the intercollegiate athletic association described in this subsection shall ensure that the fund or program established under this subsection is funded at an amount that totals not less than $60,000,000 on the first day of each academic year.
(B) Subsequent increase. Subject to the limitation under subparagraph (C), if the amount funded for the fund or program established under this subsection is depleted for an academic year, that amount for the next academic year shall be increased by $5,000,000 as compared to the amount for the previous academic year.
(C) Limitation. The amount funded for the fund or program established under this subsection shall not exceed $100,000,000.
(3) Use of collective media rights. In ensuring that the fund or program established under paragraph (2) is adequately funded, an intercollegiate athletic association may use the collective media rights revenue from a covered entity, in accordance with section 5(d)(3) of the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, as added by section 203.
(c) Rule of construction. Nothing in this section may be construed to preclude—
(1) an intercollegiate athletic association, conference, or institution from providing or causing to be provided to student athletes medical coverage in addition to the medical coverage required by subsection (a); or
(2) an intercollegiate athletic association from exceeding $60,000,000 for the fund or program established in subsection (b) for any academic year.
II Sports broadcasting
III HBCU Sports Media and Connectivity Program