WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Commerce Committee released the 'Protect College Sports Act' on May 27, 2026, proposing federal rules for name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, revenue sharing among schools, and restrictions on conference realignment. The committee plans to hold hearings and mark up the bill in June 2026.
The legislation was developed by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz of Texas and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell of Washington. The bill would establish specific federal NIL regulations, in contrast to the House's 'SCORE Act,' which would delegate NIL rulemaking authority to the NCAA. The Senate bill takes no position on whether student-athletes should be classified as employees of their institutions.
"Student athletes can profit from their name, image, and likeness, but college sports still needs real rules, competitive balance, rivalries, and a true connection to education," said Cruz. He added, "The bill protects athletes and fans and keeps college sports from becoming a two-conference minor league."
Cantwell said, "We’re seeing thousands of men’s and women’s athletic roster slots and a hundred athletic programs being cut." She added, "This bill puts new tools and new rules on the table to rein in runaway costs while still preserving NIL, revenue sharing, and women and Olympic sports."
The bill would require agents representing student-athletes in NIL deals to register and be certified under updated federal law, and it would standardize NIL contracts. It would also empower the NCAA to sanction agents found to have engaged in misconduct. Both the Senate and House bills cap agent commissions at 5 percent of contract value and include penalties for making false NIL promises.
The legislation would create a media-revenue-sharing pool accessible to institutions only if 75 percent of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools—102 as of May 2026—agree to participate. It would freeze the current conference structure and explicitly block mergers between the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten Conference. State-specific NIL exceptions that benefit a single school would be prohibited to preserve regional rivalries.
Additional provisions include a requirement for the NCAA to appoint an ombudsman to advise student-athletes on NIL and sports-related issues, and a ban on coaches changing jobs during a sporting season—a response to incidents like Lane Kiffin’s move from Ole Miss to LSU while Ole Miss was still in playoff contention. The bill also codifies a five-year participation window for athletes and allows one transfer without penalty, with subsequent transfers requiring a season of ineligibility. As of May 27, 2026, the committee had not set a target date for bringing the bill to the Senate floor if it advances from markup.