S. 4668 · 119th Congress
Protect College Sports Act of 2026
Where it stands
- Introduced Done · Jun 2, 2026
- Committee Done · Jun 2, 2026
- Passed Senate Done · Sep 28, 2026
- Passed House Not yet
- President Not yet
- Law Not yet
From the official actions on Congress.gov.
Key points
- What it changes
- A plain-language summary isn't ready yet. The official summary below describes the bill.
- Who it affects
- A plain-language summary isn't ready yet. The official summary below describes the bill.
- What it costs
- The Congressional Budget Office published a cost estimate on Jul 31, 2026 (as reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on June 24, 2026 ): S. 4668, Protect College Sports Act of 2026 ↗
- Where it stands
- Held at the desk. (Oct 5, 2026)
- What happens next
- The House would need to pass it next.
Official summary
Protect College Sports Act of 2026 This bill establishes requirements for name, image, or likeness (NIL) agreements for college student athletes and provides a limited antitrust exemption for schools and conferences to pool and sell certain college sports media rights. The requirements address elements of the court-approved agreement to settle In re College Athlete NIL Litigation (i.e., House settlement ). First, the bill statutorily prohibits institutions, conferences, or interstate intercollegiate athletic associations (e.g., the National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA]) from restricting student athletes from entering NIL agreements (subject to specified limitations). Students must report to their institution NIL compensation greater than $600. The bill requires agents to register with a state and caps agent endorsement contract fees at 5%. The bill also provides student athletes with one transfer without losing athletic eligibility and restricts football personnel from becoming the head football coach at a different institution during the same season. Further, the bill prohibits institutions, conferences, or specified entities acting for the benefit of an institution from providing athletes with compensation that circumvents the limit on sharing revenue with student athletes established under the House settlement. The bill also makes the limit permanent and provides for an annual inflation adjustment. The bill generally prohibits Division I conferences from reducing the number of varsity or Olympic sports teams that a member institution must sponsor. Specifically, large institutions ($80 million or more in annual athletics revenue) must offer and maintain at least as many grant-in-aid opportunities and roster spots for sports that do not generate positive net revenue as the institution provided during academic year 2024-25. The bill provides for a waiver of this requirement under certain circumstances of financial hardship and the requirements expire nine years after the enactment of the bill. Additionally, the bill establishes (subject to specified conditions) a limited antitrust exemption for institutions or conferences that form joint agreements to transfer their sports telecasting rights to a third party. Such an agreement requires participation from at least 75% of the institutions in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Summary by the Congressional Research Service (Reported to Senate version), via Congress.gov. These are proposed provisions, not enacted law.
Recorded votes
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On Passage of the Bill: Bill Passed (77–22)
This vote decided whether the bill passes this chamber.Votes by party
How each party voted on roll call 250 Party Yes No Present Did not vote Share voting Yes Democratic 26 19 0 0 Republican 50 2 0 1 Independent 1 1 0 0 Party totals from the official roll call.
Map: how each state voted
Each state is shaded by the share of its senators who voted Yes, out of those who voted Yes or No. Colors show the vote, not party.
U.S. Senate roll call vote (data via Voteview, UCLA) ↗ — includes how every member voted
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On the Amendment: Amendment Rejected (47–52)
A vote on a proposed change, not the whole bill.Votes by party
How each party voted on roll call 249 Party Yes No Present Did not vote Share voting Yes Democratic 44 1 0 0 Republican 1 51 0 1 Independent 2 0 0 0 Party totals from the official roll call.
Map: how each state voted
Each state is shaded by the share of its senators who voted Yes, out of those who voted Yes or No. Colors show the vote, not party.
U.S. Senate roll call vote (data via Voteview, UCLA) ↗ — includes how every member voted
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On the Amendment: Amendment Rejected (49–50)
A vote on a proposed change, not the whole bill.Votes by party
How each party voted on roll call 248 Party Yes No Present Did not vote Share voting Yes Democratic 45 0 0 0 Republican 2 50 0 1 Independent 2 0 0 0 Party totals from the official roll call.
Map: how each state voted
Each state is shaded by the share of its senators who voted Yes, out of those who voted Yes or No. Colors show the vote, not party.
U.S. Senate roll call vote (data via Voteview, UCLA) ↗ — includes how every member voted
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On the Amendment: Amendment Rejected (42–54)
A vote on a proposed change, not the whole bill.Votes by party
How each party voted on roll call 247 Party Yes No Present Did not vote Share voting Yes Democratic 31 14 0 0 Republican 9 40 0 4 Independent 2 0 0 0 Party totals from the official roll call.
Map: how each state voted
Each state is shaded by the share of its senators who voted Yes, out of those who voted Yes or No. Colors show the vote, not party.
U.S. Senate roll call vote (data via Voteview, UCLA) ↗ — includes how every member voted
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On the Amendment: Amendment Rejected (1–94)
A vote on a proposed change, not the whole bill.Votes by party
How each party voted on roll call 246 Party Yes No Present Did not vote Share voting Yes Democratic 0 44 0 1 Republican 1 48 0 4 Independent 0 2 0 0 Party totals from the official roll call.
Map: how each state voted
Each state is shaded by the share of its senators who voted Yes, out of those who voted Yes or No. Colors show the vote, not party.
U.S. Senate roll call vote (data via Voteview, UCLA) ↗ — includes how every member voted
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On the Amendment: Amendment Agreed to (96–1)
A vote on a proposed change, not the whole bill.Votes by party
How each party voted on roll call 245 Party Yes No Present Did not vote Share voting Yes Democratic 45 0 0 0 Republican 49 1 0 3 Independent 2 0 0 0 Party totals from the official roll call.
Map: how each state voted
Each state is shaded by the share of its senators who voted Yes, out of those who voted Yes or No. Colors show the vote, not party.
U.S. Senate roll call vote (data via Voteview, UCLA) ↗ — includes how every member voted
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On the Cloture Motion: Cloture Motion Agreed to (74–25)
This vote set how the bill is debated. It is not a vote for or against the bill.Votes by party
How each party voted on roll call 243 Party Yes No Present Did not vote Share voting Yes Democratic 24 21 0 0 Republican 49 3 0 1 Independent 1 1 0 0 Party totals from the official roll call.
Map: how each state voted
Each state is shaded by the share of its senators who voted Yes, out of those who voted Yes or No. Colors show the vote, not party.
U.S. Senate roll call vote (data via Voteview, UCLA) ↗ — includes how every member voted
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On the Amendment: Amendment Agreed to (77–23)
A vote on a proposed change, not the whole bill.Votes by party
How each party voted on roll call 242 Party Yes No Present Did not vote Share voting Yes Democratic 26 19 0 0 Republican 50 3 0 0 Independent 1 1 0 0 Party totals from the official roll call.
Map: how each state voted
Each state is shaded by the share of its senators who voted Yes, out of those who voted Yes or No. Colors show the vote, not party.
U.S. Senate roll call vote (data via Voteview, UCLA) ↗ — includes how every member voted
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On the Cloture Motion: Cloture Motion Agreed to (70–21)
This vote set how the bill is debated. It is not a vote for or against the bill.Votes by party
How each party voted on roll call 240 Party Yes No Present Did not vote Share voting Yes Democratic 22 17 0 6 Republican 47 3 0 3 Independent 1 1 0 0 Party totals from the official roll call.
Map: how each state voted
Each state is shaded by the share of its senators who voted Yes, out of those who voted Yes or No. Colors show the vote, not party.
U.S. Senate roll call vote (data via Voteview, UCLA) ↗ — includes how every member voted
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On the Motion to Proceed: Motion to Proceed Agreed to (77–22)
This vote set how the bill is debated. It is not a vote for or against the bill.Votes by party
How each party voted on roll call 236 Party Yes No Present Did not vote Share voting Yes Democratic 27 18 0 0 Republican 49 3 0 1 Independent 1 1 0 0 Party totals from the official roll call.
Map: how each state voted
Each state is shaded by the share of its senators who voted Yes, out of those who voted Yes or No. Colors show the vote, not party.
U.S. Senate roll call vote (data via Voteview, UCLA) ↗ — includes how every member voted
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On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed: Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Agreed to (74–24)
A bill to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes and to promote fair competition among intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes.Votes by party
How each party voted on roll call 235 Party Yes No Present Did not vote Share voting Yes Democratic 24 19 0 2 Republican 49 4 0 0 Independent 1 1 0 0 Party totals from the official roll call.
Map: how each state voted
Each state is shaded by the share of its senators who voted Yes, out of those who voted Yes or No. Colors show the vote, not party.
U.S. Senate roll call vote (data via Voteview, UCLA) ↗ — includes how every member voted
Vote types come from the official question text. How we label votes
Legislative history
- Oct 5, 2026Held at the desk.
- Oct 5, 2026Received in the House.
- Oct 5, 2026Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 28, 2026Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 77 - 22. Record Vote Number: 250. (text: CR S5044-5063)
- Sep 28, 2026Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 77 - 22. Record Vote Number: 250. (text: CR S5044-5063)
- Sep 28, 2026Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S5021-5064)
- Sep 24, 2026The committee substitute tabled by Voice Vote.
- Sep 24, 2026Cloture on the measure, as amended, invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 74 - 25. Record Vote Number: 243.
- Sep 24, 2026Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S4959-4962)
- Sep 23, 2026Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S4885)
- Sep 22, 2026Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S4851)
- Sep 22, 2026Motion by Senator Thune to recommit to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment (SA 6781) fell when cloture was invoked on amendment SA 6776 in Senate.
- Sep 17, 2026Cloture motion on the measure presented in Senate. (CR S4789)
- Sep 17, 2026Motion by Senator Thune to recommit to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment (SA 6781) made in Senate. (CR S4789)
- Sep 17, 2026Measure laid before Senate by motion. (consideration: CR S4777-4790)
- Sep 17, 2026Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 77 - 22. Record Vote Number: 236. (CR S4773-4774)
- Sep 17, 2026Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S4773-4774)
- Sep 16, 2026Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S4743)
- Sep 15, 2026Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate.
- Sep 15, 2026Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 74 - 24. Record Vote Number: 235. (CR S4715-4716)
- Aug 5, 2026Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (CR S4449)
- Aug 5, 2026Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (CR S4449)
- Jun 24, 2026Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 449.
- Jun 24, 2026Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Jun 24, 2026Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.