Protect College Sports Act of 2026

Sponsor: Ted Cruz (Republican-TX)June 2, 2026

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (CR S4449)

Student athletes would gain new protections for their rights, health, and ability to earn money.

This bill would create federal rules for college sports, giving student athletes more control over their name, image, and likeness (NIL) earnings and protecting their health and academic paths. It would also set new standards for athletic associations, including how they handle media rights and transfers. A new federal commission would study the future of college athletics.

What Would Change

Currently, rules for student athlete NIL, transfers, and medical care vary widely or are set by athletic associations without federal oversight. This bill would establish nationwide federal standards for these areas, provide specific medical coverage, regulate athlete agents, and create a federal commission to guide the future of college sports.

Key Provisions

Student athletes would be protected from losing eligibility or scholarships for earning money from their name, image, and likeness (NIL).
Division I colleges would have to cover all out-of-pocket medical costs for sports-related injuries for 5 years after an athlete finishes competing.
An independent Office of the Student Athlete Ombudsman would be created to give free, confidential advice to student athletes.
Athlete agents would be limited to charging a maximum of 5% of a student athlete's endorsement contract value.
Student athletes would be allowed one transfer to another school without losing eligibility, with more transfers allowed under specific circumstances.

View on Congress.gov

S 4668 · 119th Congress · June 2, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 2/10

Protect College Sports Act of 2026

What Would Change

Key Provisions

Lobbying Activity