U.S. Senator Ashley Moody is throwing her weight behind a legislative overhaul of college athletics, joining as a cosponsor of the Student Athlete Act of 2026.
The proposed bill, introduced in the Senate by Senator Tommy Tuberville on March 24, 2026, seeks to establish a uniform national standard for how student-athletes move between schools and how long they are eligible to play.
The legislation, designated S. 4177, arrives at a time when the college sports landscape has shifted toward what critics describe as an unregulated marketplace.
Current trends show high school graduates frequently competing against athletes who are significantly older, alongside a high volume of yearly transfers that have left fans and coaches struggling to keep up with changing rosters.
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“We cannot sit back while college sports become unregulated professional free agency in a university jersey,” Senator Moody stated. “Seventeen-year-olds are being asked to compete against 25-year-olds, and players are hopping from school to school each year, chasing money instead of excellence. The system is broken, the playing field is no longer level, and we must pass the Student Athlete Act to begin to restore fairness, accountability, and integrity. We’re working to make college sports great again.”
The Student Athlete Act of 2026 introduces several structural changes to the NCAA’s operating procedures:
- Eligibility Limits: It mandates a strict window of five consecutive years of eligibility for student-athletes. This clock runs regardless of injuries or other interruptions, aiming to prevent “career” college players from staying in the system indefinitely.
- Transfer Restrictions: The bill allows every student-athlete one “free” transfer without any penalty. However, any subsequent transfers would generally require the student to sit out of competition for one academic year.
- Scholarship Guarantees: Institutions would be required to honor original grant-in-aid commitments. If a student transfers, the responsibility to provide that scholarship support shifts to the new school.
- Legal Protections: The act provides the NCAA with limited antitrust protection specifically to enforce these transfer rules and ensures that this federal law preempts any conflicting state regulations, creating a single set of rules for all schools nationwide.
Under the provisions of the bill, the NCAA would retain the authority to manage the transfer portal and set specific windows for when athletes can notify their schools of an intent to move.
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However, the bill clarifies that schools can still revoke aid if a student fails to remain in good standing according to the institution’s academic or conduct standards.
The bill has been referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for further review.
Supporters of the act argue that these measures will stabilize the environment for college athletes, allowing them to balance their academic responsibilities with their sports careers without the pressure of constant roster turnover.
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