Protect College Sports Act of 2026

Medical Care and Coverage: Section 106 requires Division I institutions to provide out-of-pocket medical expenses for sports-related injuries, independent medical second opinions, catastrophic injury insurance, and an end-of-college physical examination. This ensures student athletes do not bear the financial burden of injuries sustained while playing their sport.

Scholarship Protections: Section 105 protects student athletes by prohibiting institutions from revoking, reducing, or conditioning a grant-in-aid based on athletic performance, injury, illness, or roster management decisions. This provides financial security for students while they pursue their education.

Health and Safety Standards: Section 107 mandates adherence to strict health and safety standards regarding concussions, heat-related illness, rhabdomyolysis, sickle cell trait, and asthma, while also granting medical personnel unchallengeable authority over return-to-play decisions. This prioritizes the physical well-being and safety of student athletes.

Support for HBCUs: Sections 302 and 303 establish competitive grants to improve broadband, information technology, and sports media infrastructure at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This directly benefits students and institutions by enhancing educational resources and broadcast capabilities.

Independent Ombudsman Support: Section 108 creates the Office of the Student Athlete Ombudsman to provide student athletes with free, independent advice regarding their rights, responsibilities, and dispute resolution. This gives students an advocate to help navigate challenges within college athletics.

Disclosure Burdens: Section 101 requires student athletes to report the terms and compensation of any name, image, and likeness agreement exceeding $600 to their institution and athletic association within strict timeframes. This imposes administrative reporting requirements on students who wish to monetize their name, image, and likeness.

Transfer Restrictions: Section 112 permits a student athlete to transfer once without losing eligibility, but imposes a loss of eligibility during the first academic year following a second transfer. This limits the freedom of student athletes to change institutions multiple times without athletic penalty.

Recruitment and Contact Windows: Section 117 allows athletic associations to enforce strict time windows ranging from two to five weeks for when institutions and agents can contact student athletes for recruiting or transfers. This restricts communication between student athletes and prospective schools outside of designated periods.