Student Athlete Act of 2026

Key Points

• College athletes who transfer schools a second time would have to sit out all athletic competition for a full academic year. The first transfer remains penalty-free, but any subsequent transfer triggers a mandatory waiting period.
• Athletes would have exactly five consecutive years of eligibility to play their sport, with no exceptions for injuries or other circumstances that currently allow for extra time. The clock starts when they begin college and cannot be paused.
• Colleges would be required by federal law to honor the original scholarship agreements (grants-in-aid) they made with athletes, even if the athlete is injured or underperforming. Schools could still revoke scholarships if the student violates the school's code of conduct.
• The NCAA would receive a specific exemption from federal antitrust laws (the Sherman Act) to create and enforce rules about the transfer portal, shielding the organization from lawsuits challenging those rules as anticompetitive.
• This federal law would override all state and local laws on these topics. States that have passed their own college athlete transfer or eligibility rules would see those laws nullified wherever they conflict with this bill.