S. 4668

Senate

Protect College Sports Act of 2026

Sponsor: Not stated on page.

Vote recorded

A recorded vote has been taken on this bill.

In brief

The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 establishes a national framework for student athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreements while codifying revenue-sharing limits from the House v. NCAA settlement. The bill requires athletes to report NIL income over $600, caps agent fees at 5%, and grants a limited antitrust exemption for conferences to pool and sell media rights if at least 75% of Football Bowl Subdivision schools participate. It also guarantees students one transfer without losing eligibility and prevents high-revenue schools from cutting non-revenue sports for nine years. Introduced by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the legislation passed the Senate in September 2026.

Votes recorded

Tallies as reported by the House Clerk and the Senate. Individual member votes are available on the linked source page.

Passed (Unanimous Consent)Senate · December 19, 2024Roll call

Timeline

Every recorded action, oldest first.

December 19, 2024 · Senate
Vote recorded
The Senate passed the Synthetic Drug Trafficking Reward Expansion Act by unanimous consent.
Passed (Unanimous Consent)
Next: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Source
August 9, 2026 · Senate
Introduced
The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 establishes federal guidelines for collegiate athlete compensation and NIL rights. It was the seventh most-viewed bill for the week of August 9, 2026.
Next: Referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Source
September 13, 2026 · Senate
Introduced
The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 was the second most-viewed bill for the week of September 13, 2026.
Next: Referred to Senate committee.
Source
September 20, 2026 · Senate
Introduced
The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 appeared on the most-viewed list for the week ending September 20, 2026.
Next: Referred to committee.
Source
September 27, 2026 · Senate
Introduced
The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 aims to create federal standards for collegiate athlete compensation and NIL rights.
Next: Referred to Senate committee.
Source
October 4, 2026 · Senate
Introduced
Ranked second on the most-viewed list, this Senate bill proposes new federal standards for the governance and protection of college athletes.
Next: Referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Source
October 11, 2026 · Senate
Debated
Regulates name, image, and likeness (NIL) standards in college sports.
Next: Referred to Senate committee.
Source
October 11, 2026 · Senate
Introduced
The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 seeks to regulate various aspects of collegiate athletics at the federal level.
Next: Referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Source
October 18, 2026 · Senate
Introduced
The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 was the ninth most-viewed bill for the week ending October 18, 2026.
Next: Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Source
October 18, 2026 · Senate
Debated
Ranked as the #9 most-viewed bill for the week of October 18, 2026.
Next: Awaits further action in the Senate.
Source
October 25, 2026 · Senate
Introduced
A bill to regulate name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights and standards for collegiate student-athletes.
Next: Referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Source