Protect College Sports Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
In Committee
Summary
**This bill would prioritize protecting student‑athletes’ ability to control and earn from their own *name, image, and likeness* while reshaping how college sports sell and share media revenue.** It pairs athlete protections with new health, agent, and media rules to change who gets paid and how games reach local fans.
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- Student athletes: It would bar schools and conferences from restricting NIL deals or cutting scholarships for NIL activity, require athletes to disclose deals over $600, cap certain agent fees at 5%, and extend post‑eligibility medical coverage including a catastrophic threshold above $90,000 and a fund seeded at a minimum of $60 million each academic year.
- Institutions and conferences: It would let institutions pool media rights under a regulated "covered entity" antitrust safe harbor if they meet governance, voting, and revenue distribution rules, enforce a revenue share cap tied to the NIL settlement, and limit some coach/manager pay to $500,000 at the largest programs.
- Fans and local markets: It would require at least one free local outlet in each team market to carry live football or basketball and impose utilization and reversion rules so non‑football and non‑basketball rights get used.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
14 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 8 mixed.
Stronger athlete health and coverage
If enacted, schools and associations would have to adopt named health and safety standards within 270 days and keep independent athletic health officers. For Division I, institutions would cover all out-of-pocket medical costs for participation injuries while you compete and for five years after your last competition. Schools would pay for an independent second medical opinion, carry catastrophic medical insurance for participation costs over $90,000, and offer an end-of-college physical. The bill would also create an association-run post-eligibility fund to help pay long-term medical costs and assist low-revenue Division I schools, with at least $60 million on the first day of each academic year and rules to raise the fund if exhausted.
New rules for college NIL deals
This bill would let colleges, conferences, and related groups pay or help arrange name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals for student athletes, but only under new rules. NIL agreements would have to serve a valid business purpose, be written with clear terms, and pay amounts similar to what non-athletes with a like profile receive. Institutions could still provide certain personal and education benefits (travel, housing, books, medical help) that are reasonable and tied to athletics or education. The bill would also define who counts as an "associated entity" and what counts as "compensation."
Scholarship, eligibility, and transfer rules
This bill would let a student athlete transfer once without losing or delaying eligibility. A second transfer would usually cause loss of eligibility for the first academic year after transfer, with exceptions for coach departure, sport cut, sexual assault/harassment, or graduate study. It would generally bar schools from revoking or reducing athletic grants-in-aid for athletic performance, injury, or roster moves, but permits revocation for transfers, conduct or academic failures, or missed required team activities with notice and cure rights. The bill would also set a usual five-calendar-year limit on eligibility starting from defined triggers, with pauses for pregnancy, military service, religious missions, and other uniform absences. The bill would equalize academic rules for 2-year to 4-year transfers and protect para athletes as walk-ons who do not count against roster or scholarship caps.
New pooled media rules and local access
This bill would let a covered entity collect pooled media rights from member schools and negotiate and sell those rights, but it would condition that arrangement on new governance and distribution rules. The entity would have to pay minimum distributions each year, ensure each member gets more than its largest single-year media payment from 2021–2025 (excluding certain playoff revenue), and set aside at least 15% of remaining revenue to split equally among specified FBS recipients. Before paying members the group must transfer money to a post-eligibility and catastrophic-injury fund. The bill would also require at least one free local outlet in each team's local market for live football or basketball, require use or reversion rules for non-football/basketball rights, change some season timing, and give an association antitrust safe harbor when enforcing these rules.
Rules for pooled media rights and revenue
If enacted, the bill would let schools form a covered entity to sell pooled broadcast rights without antitrust exposure only if the entity follows strict governance and revenue rules. Covered entities would need at least 75% of FBS schools at formation, unanimous bylaws, student-athlete voting seats, and high voting thresholds for major decisions. Collective revenue distributions must meet minimums, give each member more than its best 2021–2025 year (excluding certain playoff money), and set aside at least 15% of remaining revenue to split equally among specified members. The bill also bars large conference mergers or consolidations that violate membership rules for certain high-revenue conferences.
Protections for athlete agents and fees
If enacted, athlete agents would have to register with a State before representing student athletes. Agents would need a written agency contract listing names, term, registration, and the fee before they may provide representation. Student athletes would be able to void interstate endorsement contracts that are not in writing or that lack required terms. An agent could not charge more than 5% of an endorsement contract's value and athletic associations could publish registries and decertify agents who break rules.
New recruiting windows and privacy opt-ins
This bill would let associations set a sport-specific recruiting contact window that starts 7 days after the last game and lasts at least 2 weeks but no more than 5 weeks. Recruiters may not contact students or prospects who have not affirmatively opted in to receive recruitment contact. The bill would also bar marketing, advertising, or solicitation inside financial literacy and life-skills programs for student athletes.
Protect non-revenue sports and rosters
This bill would require many institutions to keep at least as many scholarships and roster spots for non-revenue and women's/Olympic sports as they had in 2024–25. Large schools (those with at least $80 million in athletics revenue) must maintain their 2024–25 baseline, with a narrow one-year waiver process for financial hardship. Mid-sized schools ($50M–$80M in athletics revenue) must also keep 2024–25 levels, subject to specific exemptions. Associations or conferences could not lower Division I or FBS membership team or roster minimums.
More athlete and mid-size voices
This bill would change association and conference boards so that at least one-third of voting members are current student athletes or recent graduates. It would also require associations that include mid-sized conferences (under $500 million in annual revenue) to give those conferences representation on rulemaking boards or committees. Members could not vote on matters that create a conflict of interest.
New NIL rules and school reporting
If enacted, NIL deals with non-school parties would have to show a valid business purpose and pay athletes commensurate with similar non-athletes. Schools would begin annual, anonymized reporting of NIL agreements and pay data to their athletic association starting the year after enactment and must file a detailed report within 60 days after an academic year ends. Institutions' financial literacy programs for athletes would not include ads, marketing, or solicitations. These rules increase disclosure and protections but add new institutional reporting duties.
Limits on coach hires and pay
This bill would bar people who worked on a school's football staff during a season from doing head-coach duties at another FBS school in that same season. If someone accepts a mid-season head-coach job elsewhere, they would be ineligible to serve until the season ends and could face additional penalties. The bill would also cap certain coach or manager payments at $500,000 when an institution reported more than $80 million in annual athletics revenue, for payments sourced outside sports revenue or donations.
NIL reporting, public data, and legal rights
This bill would require Division I student athletes and recruited prospects to report NIL deals worth more than $600 (adjusted annually by CPI-U). Institutions must keep annual, anonymized NIL data and associations must publish a searchable public database. Current and former student athletes would get new private legal remedies for certain contract, agent, or protection violations, and pre-dispute arbitration and pre-dispute class-waiver clauses would not block those suits. The bill would also add a 60-day written notice-and-cure step before some lawsuits.
Student athlete ombudsman office
This bill would require each athletic association to set up an Office of the Student Athlete Ombudsman. The Office would give free, independent advice, help resolve disputes, and provide referrals, while keeping communications confidential except for limited safety or legal exceptions. Associations must hire and pay the Ombudsman and support staff.
Congressional study of college sports
This bill would create a 24-member Congressional Commission to study the future of college athletics. The Commission could hire staff, hold hearings, issue subpoenas, and must report recommendations within five years. Congress may provide funds from House and Senate accounts to support the work. The Commission would end 90 days after it files its report.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
TX • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
WA • D
Sponsored 6/2/2026
Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO]
MO • R
Sponsored 6/2/2026
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 6/2/2026
Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]
VT • D
Sponsored 7/13/2026
Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]
WV • R
Sponsored 7/13/2026
Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]
CO • D
Sponsored 8/5/2026
Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE]
NE • R
Sponsored 8/5/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov