Organization Commends Bipartisan Congressional Effort While Recommending Key Amendments to Protect Educational Integrity, Athlete Welfare, and Institutional Accountability
WESTPORT, CT — July 13, 2026 — The Drake Group today called on Congress to amend and strengthen the proposed S.4668, Protect College Sports Act of 2026 as lawmakers consider landmark legislation designed to establish a national framework for governing intercollegiate athletics.
The Drake Group applauds congressional leaders for recognizing the urgent need for federal legislation following years of legal uncertainty surrounding college athlete compensation, conference realignment, transfer policies, and governance of college athletics. At the same time, The Drake Group urges Congress to ensure that any final legislation preserves the fundamental educational mission of America’s colleges and universities while providing meaningful protections for college athletes.
“With certain amendments we are proposing, the Protect College Sports Act represents an important opportunity to restore stability to a rapidly changing intercollegiate athletics landscape,” said Kassandra Ramsey, President of The Drake Group. “We commend Congress for undertaking this difficult work. College athletes deserve meaningful economic opportunities, but they also deserve robust educational protections, transparent governance, gender equitable opportunities, and institutions that remain accountable for their academic success and overall well-being.”
Among its recommendations, The Drake Group encourages Congress to amend S. 4668 before adoption to:
- Provide that unless specifically stated in the Act to the contrary, nothing in the Act shall amend, modify, supersede or conflict with existing federal law.
- Provide for waivers of the new 5-year eligibility rule for athletic injuries or medical conditions.
The Drake Group recommends further amendments to the Act to require the newly established Commission to consider the following issues:
3 Whether NIL and revenue share compensation data to college athletes should be made transparent and disaggregated by sport.
- Whether the provision mandating 2024-25 level provision of financial assistance should go beyond grants-in-aid to include other forms of financial assistance, such as summer school aid, special assistance funds, academic awards, summer training expenses, and other cash benefits that were received by women and Olympic athletes in 2024-25.
- Whether athletes should have the right to choose arbitration for the resolution of issues and disputes without restrictions.
- Whether there should be an asymmetrical approach to the assessment of reasonable fees and costs in a dispute such that an award against a student only occurs if the student’s claim was frivolous, unreasonable or without foundation.
- Whether the sports broadcasting revenue distribution provisions of the Act should provide incentives to do more than maintain the minimum 2024-25 support for women’s and non-revenue Olympic sports, and whether there should be a category that rewards schools for sponsoring sports beyond the minimum required for Division 1 membership.
“As Congress works toward final legislation, we encourage policymakers to develop solutions that protect students first, strengthen public confidence, and preserve the educational values that distinguish intercollegiate athletics,” Ramsey said. “The choices made today will shape college sports for generations. Therefore, now is not the time to rush, now is the time to take the opportunity to get this right, even if that means taking action following the upcoming Congressional recess,” Ramsey concluded.
The Drake Group looks forward to continuing its work with members of Congress, higher education leaders, college athletes, athletic administrators, and other stakeholders as the legislative process continues.
SEE FULL JULY 11, 2026 DRAKE ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS HERE
