Bipartisan college sports bill adds major media grant program for HBCUs

The Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 to advance the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, a bipartisan effort that introduces reforms such as coaching-move limits, multi-transfer eligibility, and stronger athlete protections. The bill also maintains antitrust safeguards for collective college sports broadcast deals and seeks broader market access for football and basketball games. A key component, the IGNITE HBCUs Sports and Media Act, establishes a grant program to fund broadband, information-technology and media-production improvements at qualifying historically Black colleges and universities.

Eligible schools can apply for multi-year grants ranging from two to five years, supporting projects from journalism training to live-event streaming equipment. These resources could help HBCU conferences like the MEAC and SWAC compete for media rights as existing agreements expire. The legislation now awaits Senate floor consideration before the month-long August recess, with the goal of being in place for the upcoming college football season.