Sets national rules for college athletes' NIL deals, pay caps, transfers and media rights

§1What it does

Why this matters: A plain-English description of the bill as it was voted on, written by us from the official summary and text.

✎ Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

The Senate passed a rewritten version of this bill that would set national rules for college athletes' name, image and likeness (NIL) deals, barring schools, conferences and athletic associations such as the NCAA from restricting athletes' ability to earn money from them, with some exceptions.^2,3,4 Schools and related entities would generally be barred from paying athletes beyond the revenue-sharing cap set by a 2025 court-approved settlement of a college athlete NIL lawsuit, and that cap would continue after the settlement ends only if Congress approves.⁴ For nine years, a school could exceed the cap by up to $22.5 million a year to keep athletes who have played a full season there, plus up to $5 million more linked to pay for athletes in sports that do not make money.⁴ It would let athletes transfer once without losing eligibility, require Division I schools to cover athletes' out-of-pocket medical costs for sports injuries, and require schools with at least $80 million in athletics revenue to keep as many scholarships and roster spots in sports that do not make money, including women's and Olympic sports, as in 2024-25, with some hardship waivers.⁴ It would exempt from antitrust law joint agreements by schools and conferences to sell college sports broadcast rights through a shared entity, and it states that it does not change whether athletes are employees.^3,4

§2Status

§3How Congress voted

Why this matters: The official count.