On October 13, 2026, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Executive Order 2026-04D (the EO), which allows schools to decline to enforce the NCAA’s eligibility rule, thereby permitting student-athletes who started college1 in 2022 (the Class of 2022) to compete during the 2026-27 academic year despite the NCAA’s current conflicting stance on its eligibility rules.
Senate Passes the Protect College Sports Act of 2026; House Action Next
Since 2021, the rules governing college athletics, and particularly name, image, and likeness (NIL), have been shaped less by a single national policy than by a patchwork of state laws, NCAA rule changes, and court decisions. In the absence of congressional action, courts have effectively set the boundaries of permissible compensation, transfers, eligibility, and enforcement, often one challenge at a time.
Judge Wilken Affirms Magistrate’s Ruling: MMRs and Third-Party Sponsors Remain Subject to CSC Oversight
On July 2, we reported on Magistrate Judge Nathanael M. Cousins’ ruling that multimedia rights companies (MMRs) and third-party brand sponsors are not categorically excluded from the definition of “associated entities” under the House settlement. On August 4, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken affirmed that ruling, upholding the College Sports Commission’s (CSC) authority to review NIL deals between NCAA athletes and MMRs or third-party brand sponsors.
CSC Approves Reworked $7.5M Deals for Nebraska Student-Athletes
On July 29, 2026, Nebraska’s athletic director announced that the College Sports Commission (CSC) had approved a restructured set of NIL deals for the same 18 Nebraska football players whose deals were arbitrated, totaling $7.5 million — the same dollar amount as the agreements the CSC previously denied. As discussed in our prior post, “The Great Divide Post-House: CSC Enforcement and the Power Four Conferences,” Arbitrator Andrew M. Strongin issued a binding May 11, 2026, ruling upholding the CSC’s denial of $7.5 million in NIL deals structured through Nebraska’s exclusive multimedia rights (MMR) partner.
Stanford Football and the Next Phase of College Sports Labor Rights
On July 27, 2026, Stanford University football players took a notable step in the continuing transformation of college athletics. The team became the first college football program to form a current, player-led chapter of the College Football Players Association (CFBPA), an organization advocating for player representation, collective bargaining, and improved protections for college football players. Stanford’s announcement is significant not because a union is imminent, but because it suggests that NIL, revenue sharing, and collective bargaining may now be moving toward the same legal and commercial conversation.
NCAA Division I Cabinet Approves Age-Based, Five-Year Eligibility Model
On June 23, 2026, the NCAA Division I Cabinet unanimously approved a historic overhaul of student-athlete eligibility rules, adopting an age-based model that grants student-athletes five full seasons of competition after entering college. The vote marks the most significant structural change to NCAA eligibility rules in decades and resolves — at least formally — a system that had become both legally vulnerable and administratively unworkable.
NCAA Tampering Probe Puts Revenue-Sharing Era Under the Microscope
Last week, the NCAA launched a forensic investigation into the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) football program following public complaints alleging potential tampering involving linebacker Luke Ferrelli. Ferrelli, the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year as a member of the University of California, Berkeley during the 2025 season, entered the transfer portal this offseason, signed a revenue-sharing contract with Clemson, then later reentered the portal and ultimately transferred to Ole Miss.
‘Urgent National Action to Save College Sports’: Trump’s NIL Playbook
In this episode of Highway to NIL, Troutman Pepper Locke attorneys Cal Stein and Mike Lowe break down President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Urgent National Action to Save College Sports.” Cal and Mike unpack the order’s call for a national NIL framework, proposed five-year eligibility caps and transfer limits, protections for women’s and Olympic sports, tighter rules on tampering and “fraudulent” NIL deals, and the directive to challenge state laws that conflict with interstate college sports governance.
‘Desk Drawer Roundup’: NIL Contract Fights, Eligibility Battles, and the CSC Participation Agreement
In this episode of Highway to NIL, Troutman Pepper Locke attorney Cal Stein is joined by colleagues Mike Lowe, Philip Nickerson, George Pla, and Derek Centola for a “desk drawer” tour through some of the most consequential recent developments in NIL and college sports. The group unpacks a wave of NIL contract disputes involving high-value athletes, the escalating legal fights over eligibility and the five-year rule, and the emerging governance battles around the College Sports Commission’s (CSC) participation agreement.
CSC Notifies LSU and Other Schools of Investigations Into Potential NIL Deal-Reporting Violations
Just weeks ago, we reported that the College Sports Commission (CSC) would be ramping up investigations into unreported third-party NIL agreements. The CSC has since made good on that promise. On January 30, The Athletic reported that Louisiana State University’s (LSU) athletic director, Verge Ausberry, received an email from the CSC’s head of investigations, Katie B. Medearis, informing the institution that they were under investigation regarding potential failure to report multiple third-party NIL deals.