Sheehy’s Protect America’s Game Act Passes Senate with Protect College Sports Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 29, 2026 Sheehy’s Protect America’s Game Act Passes Senate with Protect College Sports Act U.S. SENATE – Yesterday, Senator Sheehy’s Protect America’s Game Act advanced through the Senate as part of a larger package of legislation surrounding college athletics, the Protect College Sports Act . The legislation, co-led by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), creates a protected broadcast window for the Army-Navy game every year to preserve this national tradition, and now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. “The Army-Navy Game holds a special place in our nation’s sporting and military traditions. With a history over a century long, it transcends the significance of ordinary college football contests because it symbolizes the enduring principles of duty, honor, discipline, sacrifice, and camaraderie – something I witnessed firsthand during my time at the Naval Academy,” said Senator Sheehy. “The national attention the game receives gives Americans an opportunity to recognize the brave American heroes entering service who will defend our freedoms for years to come. That shouldn’t be overshadowed by broadcasting conflicts or postseason games. I’m proud to see my legislation preserving the tradition of ‘America’s Game’ pass the Senate and am thankful for the bipartisan support of my colleagues.” Background: For more than a century, the Army-Navy Game – known as “America’s Game” – has embodied excellence, duty, tradition, camaraderie, and the celebration of service. However, the potential expansion of the College Football Playoffs (CFP) and other postseason college football events threatens to undermine the traditional date reserved for “America’s Game”: the second Saturday in December. Allowing these scheduling conflicts risks diminishing the nation’s collective focus on our Military Service Academies and intruding on this longstanding, unifying, and distinctly American sporting event of significant importance to our country. In March, President Trump issued an executive order stating that “it is the policy of the United States that no college football game, specifically college football’s CFP or other postseason games, be broadcast in a manner that directly conflicts with the Army-Navy Game.” The Protect America’s Game Act , included as an amendment within the Protect College Sports Act , creates a protected broadcast window for the Army-Navy game every year. Specifically, it prevents the telecast of any Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) postseason college football games from one hour before Army-Navy kickoff until 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Army-Navy telecast. Earlier this year, Senator Sheehy’s resolution recognizing the Army-Navy football game as America’s Game also passed in the U.S. Senate. Read the text of the legislation HERE . ### Contact: Tate Mitchell , Martha Mills