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S 4668 119th Congress Senate Sports and Recreation Athletes Contracts and agency Digital media Higher education Inflation and prices Intellectual property Licensing and registrations School athletics State and local government operations Television and film User charges and fees Wages and earnings

Protect College Sports Act of 2026

Introduced: July 13, 2026 Introduced by: Cruz, Ted Republican · Texas See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 24, 2026
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 449.
Jun 24, 2026
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Jun 18, 2026
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Jun 2, 2026
Introduced in Senate
Jun 2, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
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 Plain-English summary 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.

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.

What's happening now June 24, 2026

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 449.

 Hearings & markups 1
 Related & companion bills 1
  • HR 9137 Identical bill Protect College Sports Act of 2026
 Bill text 2 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Lobbying activity 86

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

See all 86 filings →
 Cosponsors 5
All 5 Democratic 3 Republican 2
R
Capito, Shelley Moore
West Virginia · Jul 13, 2026
 D
Welch, Peter
Vermont · Jul 13, 2026
 D
Cantwell, Maria
Washington · Jun 2, 2026
 D
Coons, Christopher A.
Delaware · Jun 2, 2026
 R
Schmitt, Eric
Missouri · Jun 2, 2026
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-4668/
MLA
"S. 4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-4668/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 4668, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-4668/.
Markdown link
[S. 4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-4668/)
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