US Senate Advances Protect College Sports Act Targeting College Athletics Reform

The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) is moving toward a full Senate floor vote after the Senate Commerce Committee approved it by a 19‑9 margin on June 18. The legislation proposes limits on coaching moves, multi‑transfer eligibility, stricter reporting of NIL deals, and a cap on conference realignment, restricting power‑conference memberships to 19 schools. It also safeguards antitrust protection for collective college‑sports media negotiations while making media pooling voluntary.

A key component, the IGNITE HBCU Sports and Media Act, creates competitive grants to improve broadband, IT and media infrastructure at eligible Historically Black Colleges and Universities, helping them produce and stream athletic events. The bill adds a $22.5 million player‑retention pool and a potential $5 million bonus for schools that match spending on women’s and non‑revenue Olympic sports. Senate leaders have filed cloture to force a vote before the August recess, aiming for implementation by the 2026 college football season.