WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act with a vote of 77 to 22 on September 28, 2026, establishing federal guidelines for athlete compensation and transfers.

The bill is co-sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Maria Cantwell. It would codify a federal right to name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation for student-athletes, expanding on the NCAA's 2021 decision to lift its ban on NIL payments. The legislation establishes a revenue sharing arrangement between student athletes and universities.

Under the new framework, the bill sets an annual endorsement cap of $47.5 million for colleges under the Name, Image, and Likeness system. The bill’s retention fund allows schools to pay athlete compensation, more than double the current $21.5 million revenue-sharing cap from the House v. NCAA settlement. According to reports, the act would increase the revenue-sharing cap for schools from $21.5 million to up to $49 million per institution, including $5 million reserved for women's and Olympic sports.

The legislation includes provisions to stabilize the NCAA transfer portal by limiting athletes to five years of total eligibility, starting either when they finish high school or turn 19 years old. The bill limits student athletes to one transfer through the portal during their collegiate career. It would grant the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption to enforce rules on transfers and eligibility, which has been a long-standing goal of the organization. The bill caps agent fees at 5% to regulate predatory practices, as outlined in the Senate Commerce Committee's legislative text.

President Trump supports the Protect College Sports Act. Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban also supports the legislation. Saban was part of the Trump administration’s task force on college sports, which included figures like New York Yankees President Randy Levine.

"I think things got out of control based on name, image, and likeness," said Saban. "There's not any business in the world that can function without a budget and some guidelines." He added, "So this is going to put some parameters on that so that we don't have to take money from academics."

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise stated that House committees have identified problems with the bill that need to be fixed. "There's some good elements in the bill, but you saw there were some other problems that a number of our chairmen of the committees of jurisdiction in the House have with that bill, that would need to be fixed," said Scalise. "We want to make sure we get this right, because it's really important that we allow the schools to govern themselves."

Senator Cory Booker opposes the bill. The NAACP also opposes the legislation. A sports-business insider warned that legislative failure could result in no regulatory changes.

"They're going to blow up the legislation and get nothing in return," said the insider. "We will see where this goes but the usual crap that is preventing this from happening is going down right now," sports-business insider said. "What Miami and Florida State is doing is crazy," sports-business insider said. According to the Washington Sun, the House of Representatives is scheduled to consider the Protect College Sports Act after the midterm elections, with the House not returning until November 9.

Why It Matters

The Protect College Sports Act represents a shift in the governance of college athletics by introducing federal standards for compensation and eligibility. By codifying NIL rights and setting revenue-sharing caps, the legislation addresses the financial disparities that have emerged since the NCAA lifted its ban on athlete payments in 2021. The bill’s provisions on transfer limits and antitrust exemptions aim to create stability in a system that has seen increased player mobility and legal challenges.

The passage of the bill in the Senate sets the stage for further debate in the House of Representatives, where committee leaders have expressed concerns about specific provisions. The outcome will determine whether federal guidelines replace the current patchwork of state laws and NCAA rules, potentially reshaping the economic model of college sports for institutions and athletes alike.

Timeline

On September 28, 2026, the U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act with a 77-22 vote on September 28, 2026, as stated in the official record from the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation.

What's New

The Protect College Sports Act would increase the revenue-sharing cap for schools from $21.5 million to up to $49 million per institution, including $5 million reserved for women's and Olympic sports. Nick Saban, former head coach at Alabama, publicly supported the Protect College Sports Act in campaign commercials funded by Texas Tech megabooster Cody Campbell.

The Protect College Sports Act would codify a federal right to name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation for student-athletes, expanding on the NCAA's 2021 decision to lift its ban on NIL payments. "There's not any business in the world that can function without a budget and some guidelines," said Nick Saban.