NCAA Accountability Act of 2025

Key Points

• Requires big college sports governing groups to follow set fairness rules when investigating schools, athletes, or staff for rule-breaking.
• For investigations of schools, the group must send written notice within 60 days and can generally only focus on possible violations from the past 2 years.
• Sets deadlines: formal allegations within 8 months, and a hearing no later than 1 year after the first notice; hearings can’t rely on confidential sources as evidence.
• Lets a school force binding arbitration to challenge a punishment, using a 3-person panel (one chosen by each side, plus a third agreed to by both).
• Gives the Justice Department power to take complaints, investigate, and fine the governing group for violations, with penalties from $10,000 up to $15,000,000.