Student Athlete Act of 2026

This Act may be cited as the “Student Athlete Act of 2026”.

In this Act:

(1) Athletic department.— The term athletic department means a department at an institution of higher education that sponsors or conducts 1 or more varsity intercollegiate athletics programs in which student athletes enrolled at the institution of higher education compete in athletic contests against student athletes enrolled at another institution of higher education.

(2) Conference.— The term conference means an organization that—

(A) has as members 2 or more institutions of higher education;

(B) arranges or conducts season-long intercollegiate athletic events to determine, among its members, a champion in a particular intercollegiate sport; and

(C) sets rules for varsity intercollegiate sports competition among its members.

(3) Grant-in-aid.— The term grant-in-aid means—

(A) tuition, room, board, books, fees, and personal expenses paid or provided by an institution of higher education up to the full cost of attendance;

(B) Federal Pell Grants and other State and Federal grants unrelated to, and not awarded with respect to, participation in varsity intercollegiate sports competition;

(C) health insurance and the costs of health care wholly or partly self-funded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, a conference, or an institution of higher education;

(D) disability and loss of value insurance that is wholly or partly self-funded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, a conference, or an institution of higher education; and

(E) career counseling or job placement services available to all students at an institution of higher education.

(4) Institution of higher education.— The term institution of higher education has the meaning given that term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

(5) National Collegiate Athletic Association.— The term National Collegiate Athletic Association means the National Collegiate Athletic Association that functions as an authority for intercollegiate athletics in the United States (or a successor organization).

(6) Student athlete.— The term student athlete means an individual who engages or is eligible to engage in intercollegiate athletics.

(7) Transfer portal.— The term transfer portal means a process managed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association that facilitates the transfer of student athletes from one institution of higher education to another institution of higher education for the purpose of engaging, or being able to engage in the future, in intercollegiate athletics.

(8) Varsity intercollegiate athletics program.— The term varsity intercollegiate athletics program means a sport played at the intercollegiate level, administered by an athletic department, for which eligibility requirements for participation by student athletes are established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association or a conference.

(9) Varsity intercollegiate sports competition.— The term varsity intercollegiate sports competition means a competition—

(A) between or among student athletes; and

(B) involving 2 or more varsity intercollegiate athletics programs sponsored by different institutions of higher education.

Notwithstanding any rules set forth by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, a student athlete shall have 5 consecutive years of eligibility to play intercollegiate athletics, regardless of injury or any other event.

(a) Role of National Collegiate Athletic Association.— The National Collegiate Athletic Association shall set forth rules relating to the transfer portal, including with respect to the 1 or more periods during which a student athlete may formally notify the institution of higher education in which the student athlete is enrolled of his or her intent to transfer to another institution of higher education.

(b) Effect of transfer.—

(1) In general.— Except as provided in paragraph (2), a student athlete enrolled at an institution of higher education who transfers to another institution of higher education shall be ineligible to participate in any athletic competition sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association during the academic year, beginning at the start of the fall semester and ending at the end of an institution of higher education's final summer session, in which the student athlete entered the transfer portal.

(2) Exception for initial transfer.— Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the first transfer of a student athlete from an institution of higher education to another institution of higher education.

(c) Certain other rules and regulations.— This section shall supersede any National Collegiate Athletic Association rule or regulation related to transfer eligibility that is in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(d) Antitrust exemption.— Notwithstanding any provision of the Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. 1 et seq.) to the contrary, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (or any successor organization) may establish rules relating to the transfer portal under this section.

(a) Grant-in-Aid protection.— Subject to subsection (b), an institution of higher education shall honor the original grant-in-aid commitment made by the institution of higher education to a student athlete.

(b) Effect of transfer.— In the case of a student athlete who transfers from one institution of higher education to another institution of higher education, subsection (a)—

(1) shall not apply to the former institution of higher education of the student athlete; and

(2) shall apply to the new institution of higher education to which the student athlete transfers.

(c) Rule of construction.— Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit an institution of higher education from revoking the grant-in-aid of a student athlete or former student athlete who does not remain in good standing in accordance with the standards or code of conduct of the institution of higher education.

No State or political subdivision of a State may adopt, maintain, enforce, or continue in effect any law, regulation, rule, requirement, or standard that—

(1) conflicts with the provisions of this Act; or

(2) limits or restricts the rights of student athletes, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, conferences, or institutions of higher education under this Act.