Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement Act

Summary

Gives Division I college athletes a federal right to earn money from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), protects their scholarships and health care, and enlarges transfer and agent rules so athletes can move schools and negotiate deals with clearer protections. It also reshapes college sports media and revenue sharing, permits limited jersey/patch sponsorships, creates athlete ombuds offices, updates F‑visa work authorization for certain international athletes, and establishes enforcement and reporting rules.

Key Points

• Establishes a federal right for Division I student‑athletes to be paid for their name, image, and likeness (NIL).
• Guarantees at least two unrestricted transfers for Division I athletes without loss of varsity eligibility and protects draft-entry decisions under defined conditions.
• Strengthens athlete health, safety, and medical independence and requires medical cost coverage and mental health outreach.
• Protects scholarships and prevents reduction or cancellation for athletic performance, injury, or ordinary roster moves, with limited exceptions.
• Expands collective media‑rights rules and requires revenue sharing, minimum media revenue floors, and protections for non‑revenue and women’s sports rosters and scholarships.
• Authorizes single jersey/patch sponsorships to raise funds for all sports while protecting non‑revenue and women’s programs.
• Creates Offices of the Athlete Ombuds for independent athlete assistance and confidentiality with narrow exceptions.
• Amends F‑visa rules to allow certain international student athletes to get work authorization for commercial NIL deals.
• Designates the FTC as a key enforcer, preserves private suits and state AG enforcement, and bans certain arbitration/class‑waiver clauses.
• Preempts state laws that would curtail athlete NIL pay, third‑party benefits, transfer rights, or agent fee caps; imposes new compliance and reporting requirements on schools and collectives.

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