Why it Matters
College sports is in legal and financial chaos, and Congress is aiming to fix it. The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will hold a business meeting on June 18 to consider S.4668, the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, a bipartisan intercollegiate athletics bill that would establish a uniform federal framework for student athlete Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights. Right now, dozens of states operate under conflicting NIL laws, and a White House deadline is looming.
A Patchwork System Pushed Congress to Act
As of early 2026, 35 states had enacted NIL legislation, creating a patchwork of varying rules on disclosure requirements, permissible industries, and whether high school athletes can participate. Ohio University reported in April that student athletes had earned millions through NIL, but added that the system had created confusion and difficult decisions for both schools and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
When the House's SCORE Act stalled, the White House stepped in. President Trump signed Executive Order 14400, titled "Urgent National Action to Save College Sports," on April 3 calling on the NCAA to overhaul its rules on transfers, eligibility, NIL, and revenue sharing by August 1. Sections 3 through 6 of that order take effect on that same date, and the order aimed to end NIL collectives, which are donor-funded organizations that pay players, and to crack down on booster payments exceeding fair-market value.
What S.4668 Would Do
Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Chris Coons (D-DE) announced a bipartisan agreement and introduced S.4668, the full title of which is "To Protect The Name, Image, And Likeness Rights Of, And Provide Protections For, Student Athletes And To Promote Fair Competition Among Intercollegiate Athletics."
The bill would establish federal NIL rights for student athletes; require NIL contracts to specify what athletes must do and how much they will be paid; and cap athlete-agent representation fees at 5 percent. It would also preempt conflicting state NIL laws; create a student athlete ombudsman; include transfer and eligibility rules; ban cap-evasion practices; and prohibit the formation of a "super league" in college athletics. Academic and scholarship protections as well as medical coverage standards are also included, along with limits on in-season coaching movement.
Cantwell's office described the bill as replacing the patchwork of state laws with a strong national NIL standard. Cruz called it "landmark college sports legislation" aimed at ending transfer chaos, fake NIL bidding wars, eligibility lawsuits, and competitive imbalance.
Legal analysts at Morgan Lewis described S.4668 as proposing comprehensive federal regulation of student-athlete NIL rights and a targeted antitrust exemption. The Duane Morris Sports Law Blog noted on June 3 that the bill also permits pooling of media rights. USA Today reported on May 28 that the bill's provisions would protect athletes' income rights while increasing enforcement of third-party deals.
The Hearing
The business meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 18 at 10:00 AM at 253 Russell Senate Office Building before a 28-member committee. Cruz chairs the committee, with Cantwell serving as ranking member.
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