Correcting Opportunity and Accountability in Collegiate Hiring Act (COACH Act)

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 5812 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5812 To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to cap certain intercollegiate athletics compensation and buyouts as a condition of institutional participation in Federal student aid programs, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 24, 2025 Mr. Baumgartner introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to cap certain intercollegiate athletics compensation and buyouts as a condition of institutional participation in Federal student aid programs, and for other purposes. 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 ``Correcting Opportunity and Accountability in Collegiate Hiring Act (COACH Act)''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (a) Intercollegiate athletics, when properly governed, promote student development and broad-based participation aligned with educational missions. (b) Institutions participating in programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) receive substantial Federal support and tax advantages, creating a heightened obligation to manage athletics in service of educational priorities and equal opportunity. (c) Escalating compensation and buyouts for athletics personnel can divert resources from academic priorities and broad-based opportunities, including women's and Olympic sports, and warrant reasonable, uniform guardrails as a condition of title IV participation. (d) Federal courts have held that the National Collegiate Athletic Association's caps on coaches' pay violat