Senate Passes Protect College Sports Act 77-22, Could Force Second-Time College Football Transfers To Sit Out A Full Year

Senate Passes Protect College Sports Act 77-22, Could Force Second-Time College Football Transfers To Sit Out A Full Year

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Senate Passes Protect College Sports Act 77-22, Could Force Second-Time College Football Transfers To Sit Out A Full Year

The Senate passed legislation that would create federal rules for college athlete transfers, compensation, eligibility and NCAA enforcement. The Protect College Sports Act passed 77-22 on September 28 and now moves to the House.

Senate Targets College Football Transfer Rules

The bill would allow athletes to transfer once without losing or delaying eligibility. A second transfer would normally require the athlete to sit out the following academic year, though the legislation includes exceptions.

It would also establish five years of eligibility. Exceptions would cover pregnancy, military service, religious missions and certain medical circumstances.

Players could still change schools more than once, but repeated transfers could carry an eligibility penalty. That would affect how FBS programs recruit players and manage their rosters.

Tennessee defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs (5), defensive back Dejuan Lane (10), and linebacker Amare Campbell (0) tackle Texas running back Raleek Brown (0) College football game between Tennessee and Texas on Sept. 26, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Tennessee defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs (5), defensive back Dejuan Lane (10), and linebacker Amare Campbell (0) tackle Texas running back Raleek Brown (0) College football game between Tennessee and Texas on Sept. 26, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The legislation also addresses coaching movement. Football coaches and key staff members would be prohibited from leaving an FBS program during the competitive season to effectively take over another FBS job.

The restriction would cover recruiting, roster management, NIL work and game planning. The bill also targets player poaching and recruiting tampering by giving the NCAA and athletic organizations more enforcement authority.

College Football Compensation Would Also Change

The bill would codify the direct revenue-sharing system created by the House v. NCAA settlement. Schools could share up to $21.5 million each year with athletes.

The legislation would also create a retention fund that could reach $27.5 million under certain conditions. Some schools could therefore have access to nearly $50 million in combined revenue-sharing and retention funds.

College Football
Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker (17) rushes as Oregon’s Ify Obidegwu (7) defends in the first half of the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Oregon Ducks at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Sept., 12, 2026.

AP reported that football roster payrolls at some schools already exceed $40 million. That figure shows how much schools are spending to build and retain their teams.

Schools and conferences would also be allowed to voluntarily pool media rights. Existing broadcast contracts would remain protected.

Participating schools would have to maintain women’s and Olympic sports roster spots and grant-in-aid opportunities at 2024-25 levels. The bill would also limit conferences to 20 schools and protect traditional football rivalries in scheduling.

The Senate vote does not put the proposed rules into effect. The House must still consider the legislation and is not expected to return to Washington until after the November elections.

If Congress does not pass the bill before the end of the year, lawmakers would have to restart the process in the next Congress.

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