WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate will soon vote on the Protect College Sports Act of 2026 (PCSA), legislation that the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund (NWLCAF) warns does not go far enough to protect against sex discrimination. PCSA is a bipartisan bill that, in part, establishes a national framework around Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) use and revenue sharing, and creates new rules around athlete compensation, media rights, and transfers.
While PCSA does not explicitly create a conflict with Title IX, it also does not acknowledge that Title IX applies to financial compensation for student athletes, including through the newly created (up to $27.5 million) retention fund. Given the persistent and ongoing sex-based disparities in NIL and revenue share, this clarity is necessary to prevent any confusion and violations of the law.
“While it is clear that Title IX applies to student athlete compensation, as it stands now, PCSA does not provide enough clarity on exactly how,” said Shiwali Patel, NWLCAF’s senior director for education justice. “The popularity of women’s sports is rapidly growing, but teams remain under-resourced and athletes continue to be under-compensated despite longstanding Title IX protections. It is evident that the drafters of PSCA are not trying to be in conflict with Title IX, but any legislation created to remedy issues in college sports–especially in today’s landscape–must make very clear that Title IX requires fair and equitable treatment of women athletes and teams, including in any form of athletic compensation, whether through NIL, revenue share, a retention fund, or anything else. Title IX mandates no less.”
NWLCAF distributed a letter to senators sharing these concerns and urging opposition of PCSA ahead of the Senate vote. The letter can be read here.