S.Amdt. 6768

The amendment, proposed by Mr. Cruz and Ms. Cantwell, intends to replace the existing text of bill S. 4668 with the Protect College Sports Act of 2026.

The purpose of this amendment is to establish a comprehensive framework for the protection of student athletes and the promotion of fair competition in intercollegiate athletics. It aims to add the following to the bill:

Student Athlete Protections and Rights

• Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL): Protects the rights of student athletes to earn compensation from their NIL and prohibits institutions or associations from restricting these opportunities or using NIL as a reason to limit eligibility or grants-in-aid.
• Academic and Medical Safeguards: Prohibits undue pressure on academic choices, protects scholarships from being revoked due to athletic performance or injury, and mandates specific medical coverage, including catastrophic injury insurance and post-eligibility care.
• Health and Safety: Requires adherence to standards for managing brain injuries, heat-related illness, rhabdomyolysis, sickle cell trait, and asthma.
• Support Systems: Establishes the Office of the Student Athlete Ombudsman to provide independent advice and assistance to athletes.

Operational and Governance Changes

• Governance: Requires that at least 1/3 of the voting power on governing boards or committees be held by current or former student athletes.
• Transfers: Permits student athletes to transfer between four-year institutions once without losing eligibility, with specific exceptions for additional transfers.
• Coach Transitions: Sets rules for football coaching transitions during a competitive season to prevent certain duties from being performed for a new institution.

Regulation and Transparency

• Agent Oversight: Updates the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act to require agent registration, creates an agent registry, and provides a private right of action for athletes to sue agents for certain violations.
• Financial Transparency: Mandates that Division I institutions disclose NIL agreement data and report revenues, expenditures, and academic outcomes to a publicly accessible database.
• Revenue Management: Establishes rules regarding a revenue share cap and a retention fund, including a process for Congressional approval to continue these measures if a related settlement agreement expires.

Broadcasting and Infrastructure

• Media Rights: Sets requirements for entities selling media rights and limits liability for the transmission of collegiate sports.
• HBCU Support: Creates the HBCU Sports Media and Connectivity Program to provide grants for improving broadband, technology, and broadcast infrastructure at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.