Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT) and Marc Veasey (D-TX) introduced bipartisan legislation to prohibit foreign investment into collegiate sports name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreements and restrict foreign investments into collegiate athletics revenue streams.
The development of NIL agreements in collegiate athletics exposes a major vulnerability in U.S. higher education if foreign states or state-linked entities use NIL deals, sponsorships, or revenue-generating investments to exert soft power influence. The No Foreign NIL Funds Act bans foreign nations and their entities from donating to any collegiate NIL agreement, prevents investing in collegiate athletics revenue streams, and blocks naming rights, broadcasting or media contracts, joint ventures, and sponsorships. It also prevents foreign nations from hosting collegiate athletic events abroad, such as tournaments or bowl games.
“College sports are woven into American campus life, local communities, and family traditions. But allowing foreign entities to funnel money and sponsorships into college athletics through NIL deals risks undermining the integrity of the game and exposing universities to unintended foreign influence or national security concerns,” Rep. Moore said. “NIL should be used to support college athletes, not as a backdoor for moving foreign money into American institutions. I’m proud to introduce this common-sense bipartisan bill with Rep. Veasey to prevent U.S. college sports from becoming a playpen for foreign money.”
“Our college athletics should be about opportunity for college athletes and not a back door for foreign governments to buy influence,” Rep. Veasey said. “This bipartisan legislation draws a bright line by banning foreign donations to NIL deals. We’re protecting the integrity of college sports, our national security, and the future of collegiate athletics.”
“Utah State Athletics firmly supports our student-athletes and their ability to seek name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities through the appropriate channels. However, the origin of these sources is critical for NIL to function effectively and operate in the best interest of our university, state, and student-athletes. We are thankful for Congressman Moore’s work in this area and support his efforts to create a safe and sustainable future,” said Cameron Walker, Utah State Vice President and Director of Athletics.
Background:
Current federal regulations and court cases on NIL-related matters do not restrict foreign actors from donating to NIL arrangements, so long as they pass through a clearinghouse of requirements established in the 2025 House vs. NCAA court settlement. However, many NIL collectives operate as LLCs, meaning their donor lists and deal terms are not required to be made public. This has left a major opportunity for foreign actors to exert influence over collegiate athletics programs.
For example, a foreign entity could set up a U.S. subsidiary, foundation, or investment fund, which then makes a major donation to a collegiate NIL collective framed as a marketing partnership or philanthropic initiative. This NIL collective could then pay athletes for social media promotion, brand ambassadorship, or charitable appearances. While these payments could presumably be set at market rate, there would be zero oversight over the source of the funds or whether the donation had any pure commercial intent. Left unchecked, those agreements could be used as tools of foreign influence campaigns to boost a nation’s soft power in the United States.
Beyond NIL, cash injections from foreign sources into university or conference revenue streams risk exposing U.S. institutions of higher education to malign or undue foreign influence and eroding the amateur status of U.S. collegiate sports.
Examples of concern:
- In October 2024, the New York Times reported that an ex-University of Colorado football coach made a private trip to Saudi Arabia to lobby for investments in Colorado’s 5430 Alliance NIL collective.
- In October 2025, the New York Times reported that University of North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi made an exploratory fundraising trip to Saudi Arabia to discuss potential sponsorship opportunities.
- Sports Illustrated reported that representatives from the Atlantic Coast Conference met with Saudi officials to discuss hosting the 2025 Holiday Bowl in Saudi Arabia.
- CBS Sports journalist Jon Rothstein reported that multiple Power 4 athletic conferences are finalizing plans to organize an early-season college basketball tournament in Dubai in November 2026.
The No Foreign NIL Funds Act:
- Bans any national or foreign entity from making contributions to NIL agreements with the following entities:
- An institution of higher education
- A student-athlete
- A private collective or booster organization that solicits, receives, or manages funds on behalf of, in affiliation with, or under the direction of an institution of higher education
- Bans certain foreign investments into collegiate athletics revenue streams. No university, athletic conference, media rights distributor, or bowl or post-season football organization may enter into contracts or sponsorship agreements that involve financing, ownership, or participation from entities of covered foreign nations.
- Bans universities, athletic conferences, media rights distributors, or bowl or post-season football organizations from certain activities covered by foreign nations. These activities include:
- Naming rights to athletic conferences
- Selling or licensing of broadcasting rights
- Conference-wide or institutional sponsorship agreements
- Joint ventures of capital investment related to athletic, media, data, or content platforms
- Hosting an amateur tournament, competition, contest, or match (both competitive and exhibition).
Exempted foreign nations include members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Australia, New Zealand, and the Republic of Ireland.
Read the full bill here.
