Protect College Sports Act of 2026
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To President
- Became Law
Overview
The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 aims to strengthen the rights of college student athletes by establishing regulations for name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreements, providing antitrust protections, and addressing issues related to agent responsibilities, academic support, medical coverage, and athlete representation. It also introduces provisions to limit coaching transitions and promotes fair broadcasting practices for college sports media rights. The bill seeks to create a more equitable and supportive environment for student athletes while ensuring the long-term viability of college athletics.
Key provisions
- Establishes limitations on how institutions and conferences can restrict student athletes' NIL agreements.
- Requires student athletes to report NIL compensation exceeding $600 to their institutions.
- Regulates athlete agents, including registration requirements and caps on endorsement contract fees.
- Provides a limited antitrust exemption for conferences to pool and sell sports media rights.
- Mandates comparable standards for access to facilities, services, and events for men’s and women’s athletic programs.
- Introduces a requirement for institutions to establish an Office of the Student Athlete Ombudsman.
- Addresses coaching transitions, specifically restricting football personnel from becoming head coaches at other institutions during the same season.
- Establishes a revenue share cap for NIL compensation and provides for annual inflation adjustments.
Who is affected
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