Fortune: coaches still out-earn athletes

Fortune reported on August 5 that college coaches still out-earn the athletes they coach five years after name, image and likeness rights opened a new income stream for players. The report landed as the U.S. Senate weighs the Protect College Sports Act of 2026 and as the NCAA rolls out a new age-based eligibility framework for Divisions I and II. Together, the pay gap, the pending bill and the eligibility rewrite have put compensation, bargaining power and roster rules at the center of the college sports debate. ### How much would federal law change the current NIL system? The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 would create a national framework for NIL agreements while preserving athletes’ right to sign those deals, according to the Congressional Research Service summary published on June 23. The bill would bar schools, conferences and the NCAA from restricting NIL agreements except under specified limits, require athletes to report NIL compensation above $600, and cap agent endorsement fees at 5%. (fortune.com) The Senate Commerce Committee advanced the bill on June 18 by a 19-9 vote, the Knight Commission said in a July 24 summary. An MSN report published August 6 said Senate Majority Leader John Thune moved for cloture on Wednesday, setting the measure up for a possible floor vote before the August recess. ### Why does the coaches-versus-athletes pay gap still matter after NIL? (govtrack.us) Fortune said on August 5 that coaches still make substantially more than the athletes they oversee across many programs, despite five years of NIL activity. The article’s framing underscores a basic feature of the market so far: a small number of athletes command large endorsement deals, while many others earn modest sums or nothing at all. (knightcommission.org) The same debate now sits beside the House settlement structure referenced in the Senate bill. The CRS summary says the legislation would prohibit schools and related entities from paying athletes in ways that circumvent the revenue-sharing limit established under the House settlement, would make that limit permanent, and would provide for annual inflation adjustments. (fortune.com) ### What do the new NCAA eligibility rules actually do? The NCAA said Division I and II eligibility rules are changing starting with the 2026-27 academic year. Under the new model, athletes who meet eligibility requirements and enter college no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday generally will have up to five years of eligibility, with the clock tied to age and initial full-time enrollment rather than counted seasons of competition. (govtrack.us) The NCAA’s explainer says the five-year period begins with the earlier of two events: initial full-time college enrollment or the start of the academic year after an athlete’s 19th birthday, subject to the Sept. 1 trigger described in the rule. Once that period starts, it runs continuously and does not pause for transfers, noncompetition or time away from participation. (ncaa.org) ### What disappears under the age-based model? The NCAA said the new framework replaces redshirts, sport-specific competition limits, several waiver pathways and, in Division II, the old semester or quarter count. NCAA President Charlie Baker said on June 23 that members and athletes had asked for rules that were easier to understand, while Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said the model would make roster management easier for schools and coaches. (ncaa.org) The Division I change will be fully implemented for prospects first enrolling full time in fall 2027 or later, according to the NCAA’s June 23 announcement. The broader NCAA explainer says the rules begin changing with the 2026-27 academic year. ### What comes next for athletes, schools and lawmakers? The Senate’s next step is a floor vote on the Protect College Sports Act if cloture succeeds, according to the August 6 MSN report. (ncaa.org) The NCAA’s eligibility-center explainer remains the reference point for athletes and families sorting out how the five-year clock will apply for the 2026-27 year, while schools await the bill’s fate and any final federal guardrails on NIL, agent conduct and revenue-sharing rules. (msn.com)