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II
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5561
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 24, 2026

Mr. Sheehy (for himself and Mr. Sullivan) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To protect the exclusive broadcast window of the Army-Navy college football game.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protect America's Game Act.

Sec. 2. Protection of Army-Navy game

The Act of September 30, 1961 (commonly known as the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961) (15 U.S.C. 1291 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

7. Protection of Army-Navy game

(a) Exemption of certain college sports agreements from antitrust laws

The antitrust laws, as defined in the first sentence of section 1 of this Act, shall not apply to any joint agreement, by or among institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) engaging in or conducting organized intercollegiate sports, or conferences that have such institutions as members, to form and operate an entity that sells or otherwise transfers to a third party all or any part of the rights of the institutions or conferences in the sponsored telecasting of the intercollegiate athletic competitions engaged in or conducted by the institutions or conferences.

(b) Prohibition on broadcasts that overlap with Army-Navy game

(1) In general

Subsection (a) shall not apply to any joint agreement described in that subsection that permits any person to sponsor, telecast, or authorize the telecast of any postseason intercollegiate football contest involving an institution participating in the Football Bowl Subdivision during the protected Army-Navy Game broadcast window.

(2) Definition

For purposes of this subsection, the term protected Army-Navy Game broadcast window means the period beginning 1 hour before scheduled kickoff and ending 30 minutes after the official conclusion of the telecast of the annual football game between the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy occurring on the second Saturday in December in any year.