The Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) was introduced in May 2026 to establish guardrails for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights, transfers, and media rights. With the SCORE Act stalled in the House, the PCSA is currently the leading bill on collegiate athletics reform.
While the focus of this bill is primarily on NCAA DI schools, it could potentially impact smaller institutions. The NAIA has been working with members of Congress since 2025 to ensure lawmakers understand how certain proposals could negatively impact smaller institutions.
There are parts of the PSCA bill for which the NAIA is exempt, including:
- Mandatory disclosures of NIL deals greater than $600 and public database
- Required medical coverage and post-eligibility medical fund
- Guarantee of scholarships to complete degrees post-eligibility
- Prohibition of mid-season football coaching changes
- Amendments to the Sports Broadcasting Act to pool media rights
However, other components would apply to the NAIA, including:
- Being included in the federal NIL framework, which would limit our ability to include specific NIL guardrails or rule adjustments
- Right to agent/legal representation for all student-athletes
- Health and safety standard requirements for specific medical conditions
- Establishment of a national independent Ombudsman Office created and funded by the NAIA, with access provided to all student-athletes
- Ensuring that members of all governing councils/committees are comprised of 30% current and former student-athletes who aren’t serving in a coaching or administrative role.
The last two items would be burdensome for smaller institutions.
Some PCSA provisions are optional if the NAIA wants limited antitrust protection, including:
- A five-year eligibility window that begins at age 19 or college enrollment, whichever is earlier
- One-time transfer approach
- Recruitment and tampering rules
- Select NIL parameters
- Publicly available agent registry for certified agents
Because the PCSA is extensive, the passage could both benefit and burden smaller institutions. The NAIA is prioritizing input on the student-athlete committee representation requirement, the establishment of an ombudsman’s office, and more flexibility around the five-year eligibility window. While the PCSA is neutral on the issue of student-athletes as employees, some of the language could be potentially damaging, as it would invite courts to help legislate the issue. The NAIA would prefer this neutral language to be removed altogether.
A mark-up of the bill is being conducted by the Commerce Committee this week, with the intention to advance it out of committee and to the Senate soon. We have heard from several institutions that their senate representatives are interested in their opinion, which is a positive sign that our advocacy is working. If you are so inclined, we encourage you to engage your representatives and support you in whatever way would be helpful.