On May 27, 2026, Senators Cruz and Cantwell announced the Protect College Sports Act, a sweeping bipartisan bill that represents the most comprehensive federal attempt yet to impose legal order on college athletics. For universities and conferences, the significance of this legislation cannot be overstated. The bill would grant the NCAA and the College Sports…

By  AJ Rudowitz, Joseph J. Machi, Rebecca A. Guzman and Bryan Shapiro

On May 13, 2026, a bicameral coalition of Democratic lawmakers introduced the Let Kids Play Act, a sweeping piece of legislation that would effectively ban private equity from the youth sports industry. The bill represents the most direct federal legislative…

As the calendar turns from 2025 to 2026, developments in college athletics continue to unfold at a rapid pace, with meaningful implications for universities, athletes, agents, and other industry participants. Just last month, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) signaled that the federal government may be turning its attention to the largely unregulated market of agents…

The University of Utah is advancing a groundbreaking agreement with private-equity firm Otro Capital that is expected to generate more than $500 million for its athletics program. The deal creates a new for-profit entity, Utah Brands & Entertainment LLC, which will manage the commercial and revenue operations of the school’s athletic department, such as sponsorships,…

On December 11, 2025, NASCAR settled an ongoing and closely watched antitrust trial brought by two racing teams, 23XI Racing (co-owned by Michael Jordan) and Front Row Motorsports, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. The settlement was announced after the plaintiffs had presented their case-in-chief and following testimony from…

The University of Georgia, through the University’s athletic association (UGAA), is seeking damages totaling $390,000 against a former football player, Damon Wilson II, after he elected to transfer to Missouri following the 2024 season.  The demand stems from a clause in Wilson’s NIL contract that required him to forfeit the balance of his agreement if…

In a notable rebuke to the Division I Council’s recent policy push, NCAA Division I member schools have voted by a two-thirds majority to rescind a previously approved rule change that would have allowed student-athletes and athletics department staff to place wagers on professional sports. The proposal—introduced by the Council in October and scheduled to…