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WASHINGTON, DC (September 15, 2026)
As Congress renews its focus on sweeping legislation governing college athletics, college and university board oversight is becoming an urgent governance priority. Ross Mugler, President and CEO for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), is urging governing boards to ensure they understand the rapidly changing financial, legal, and strategic environment surrounding college sports, and what it means for their institutions.
“The renewed congressional push on college athletics underscores how quickly the landscape is changing and why governing boards must understand the profound implications for their institutions. Whether or not the Protect College Sports Act ultimately becomes law, the decisions being made in Washington, in the courts, by conferences, and within institutions are reshaping the economics and governance of college sports.
“Higher education governing boards need to understand what these changes mean for their institutions now. Revenue sharing, NIL, broadcast and multimedia rights, the financial sustainability of athletics programs, and an evolving legal and regulatory environment all carry implications that extend well beyond the athletics department. They intersect with institutional finances, risk, strategy, and ultimately mission.
“This is precisely why AGB is convening governing board members, presidents, chancellors, athletic directors, chief financial officers, and other leaders in Washington this November. The pace of change makes this a governance priority now, not something boards can wait to address once the landscape is settled. Boards urgently need to understand what is changing, and the implications for their institutions, so they can provide effective oversight and protect institutional mission and long-term sustainability.”
Ross A. Mugler
President & CEO
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges