Student Athlete Bill Guarantees Two Free Transfers, Caps Agent Fees at 5%, and Centralizes College Sports Media Rights

The new Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement Act is a massive shakeup for college sports, essentially rewriting the rules for student athletes’ rights, health, and how billions of dollars in media revenue are handled. At its core, the bill guarantees student athletes the right to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) without losing their eligibility, while simultaneously creating federal oversight for college sports enforcement and broadcasting.

This isn’t just about NIL deals; it’s a comprehensive overhaul that touches everything from medical decisions to antitrust law. If you’ve ever wondered what the fine print of college sports looks like, this bill is the new fine print, and it’s going to affect every university, coach, and athlete in the country.

The New Rules of the Game: NIL, Transfers, and Agent Caps

For the student athlete, the biggest wins are clear control and mobility. Title I locks down NIL rights, making it illegal for a school or athletic association to punish an athlete for signing an endorsement deal or hiring an agent. This is crucial: your scholarship is protected, and your playing time cannot be limited just because you’re making money on the side. The bill even allows the institution itself to pay athletes for NIL, provided the payment is commensurate with what non-athletes would receive for comparable rights (SEC. 101).

Title II introduces the “two free transfer” rule. An athlete can now transfer twice between schools without being forced to sit out a season. This drastically increases athlete mobility and reduces the leverage schools have over players who might be unhappy or seeking better opportunities. For parents, this means less uncertainty about their student’s path if a coaching change or program shift occurs (SEC. 201).

Agents also face new scrutiny under SEC. 104. To protect athletes from being taken advantage of, agents are now legally capped at charging no more than 5% of the total value of an endorsement contract. Plus, any pre-dispute arbitration agreements or class-action waivers that an athlete signs are voided if they relate to a violation of this Act, giving athletes a clear path to sue in court if an agent or school breaks the rules (SEC. 104, SEC. 1003).

Health and Safety: Doctors, Not Coaches, Are Boss

Title III tackles the long-standing issue of medical independence. It mandates that medical professionals—doctors, trainers, and physical therapists—have the absolute, final authority on an athlete’s treatment and when they are cleared to play. Coaches and non-medical staff cannot overrule these decisions (SEC. 302). This is a huge shift that prioritizes athlete safety over team performance.

Furthermore, Division I schools must now cover all out-of-pocket medical costs—copays, deductibles, and even the cost of a second opinion—for sports-related injuries while the athlete is playing. Crucially, this coverage must continue for five full years after the athlete’s eligibility ends (SEC. 303). For someone who suffers a career-ending injury, this five-year window provides a vital safety net for long-term recovery.

The Billion-Dollar Question: Broadcast Rights and Centralization

While the athlete protections are significant, Title IX is where the money and power shift dramatically. This section grants a massive antitrust exemption to the largest athletic associations, allowing them to collectively negotiate and sell the media rights for college sports (SEC. 903). This is a huge deal because it centralizes control over billions in revenue, similar to how professional leagues operate.

To keep this antitrust exemption, the association must meet certain requirements, including establishing a new Committee on Intercollegiate Sports Media Rights (SEC. 904). This Committee must ensure that when revenue is distributed, every member school receives more than they did in the 2024–2025 academic year, and they must maintain the same number of scholarships and roster spots for women’s and non-revenue-generating sports as they had in 2023–2024. The stated goal is to use this centralized revenue to support all sports, not just football and basketball (SEC. 901).

However, this centralization comes with a cost: SEC. 907 imposes a freeze on existing media rights contracts active after October 1, 2025, preventing schools or conferences from renegotiating or extending those deals until they naturally expire. This puts a temporary hold on the media market and forces schools to wait for the new centralized structure to take effect before signing new long-term agreements.

Oversight and Enforcement: The FTC Gets Involved

To ensure compliance, Title X grants the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) broad new authority. Violations of the NIL, transfer, scholarship, and medical independence rules (Titles I, II, IV, V, and SEC. 302/303) will be treated as unfair and deceptive business practices under the FTC Act (SEC. 1001). This means the FTC can now investigate and enforce these rules against both for-profit and nonprofit entities, including athletic associations.

This federal oversight is paired with whistleblower protections (SEC. 1004) that shield athletes and employees from retaliation if they report violations. It also preempts state laws regarding NIL, agent fees, and transfers, meaning if a state tries to pass a law that conflicts with these federal protections, the federal law wins (SEC. 1102).

The Bottom Line for Busy People

This bill is a clear win for student athletes, granting them financial autonomy, medical independence, and mobility that they’ve never had before. For universities, it means a massive administrative lift, requiring detailed annual financial and time reports for every sport (SEC. 102) and creating new roles like the independent Athletic Health and Safety Officer (SEC. 301).

While the centralization of media rights promises stability and funding for non-revenue sports, the creation of a massive, antitrust-exempt entity controlling college sports revenue is a huge concentration of power. The success of this bill hinges on whether the new Committee and the FTC can balance the immense commercial interests of college sports with the core mission of protecting the student athlete.