S 4668 119th Congress
Protect College Sports Act of 2026
A bill to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes and to promote fair competition among intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes.
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Bill journey
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Introduction Congress.gov
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate.
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
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Introduced in Senate
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Introduced in Senate
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Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
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Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 449.
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Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
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Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
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Reported to Senate
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View the complete bill journey as an accessible table
| Date and time | Record | Official detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| IntroductionIntroduced | Introduced in the Senate. | Congress.gov | |
| Official actionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. | No additional detail supplied.IntroReferral · Senate | Congress.gov | |
| Official actionIntroduced in Senate | No additional detail supplied.IntroReferral · Library of Congress · Code 10000 | Congress.gov | |
| Text versionIntroduced in Senate | A dated text-version record is available. | Congress.gov | |
| Official actionCommittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. | No additional detail supplied.Committee · Senate | Congress.gov | |
| Official actionPlaced on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 449. | No additional detail supplied.Calendars · Senate | Congress.gov | |
| Official actionCommittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report. | No additional detail supplied.Committee · Senate | Congress.gov | |
| Official actionCommittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report. | No additional detail supplied.Committee · Library of Congress · Code 14000 | Congress.gov | |
| Text versionReported to Senate | A dated text-version record is available. | Congress.gov |
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Congressional Research Service
CRS summary
Protect College Sports Act of 2026This 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.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.
Official documents
Text versions
- Reported to SenateJun 24, 2026
- Introduced in SenateJun 2, 2026