MIAA Names Mallory to Governance Task Force

Missouri Southern athletic director Rob Mallory joins a 10-member panel preparing for possible changes to college sports under federal legislation.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Legislative Policy

Bold vector editorial illustration of an empty collegiate athletic field from above, with green turf, cream lines, and a row of coral bleacher seats. — The Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association named Missouri Southern athletic director Rob Mallory to its 10-member Governance and Enforcement Task Force to prepare for the federal Protect College Sports Act. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association appointed Missouri Southern State University athletic director Rob Mallory to its 10-member Governance and Enforcement Task Force. The group will examine the potential impact of the federal Protect College Sports Act.

Why it matters

The proposed bill could reshape how Division I and Division II schools handle athlete transfers, NIL deals, eligibility and enforcement. The task force is preparing for either outcome: congressional passage or failure, in which case conferences would address those issues themselves.

The Protect College Sports Act passed the Senate 77-22 in September and remains pending in the House. The task force's 10 members will prepare for both passage and failure, but the bill's final form is still unknown.

The players

Rob Mallory

Athletic director at Missouri Southern State University, appointed to the MIAA task force. He oversees athletics at the Joplin-based public university.

Eric Schmitt

Republican U.S. Senator from Missouri and co-sponsor of the Protect College Sports Act. He helped develop the media-rights pooling provision in the bill.

The details

Co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt, the bill includes a provision that would allow colleges to pool their media rights to generate revenue. Mallory's appointment places a Missouri athletic director on the body tasked with planning for the legislation's effects.

September 2026: Senate passes the Protect College Sports Act 77-22.
November 5, 2026: Task force appointment of Rob Mallory is reported.

Legislative Policy Context

The Protect College Sports Act is a federal bill now awaiting House action after Senate passage. Missouri's conference is preparing for both congressional enactment and the possibility that conferences must regulate transfers, NIL and eligibility on their own.

Student-athletes at Missouri colleges could see changes to transfer rules, NIL deals and eligibility if the bill becomes law. Schools would need to adjust policies that currently govern those areas.

The takeaway

Federal action on college sports could reset rules that conferences have governed on their own. Following the House vote will show whether Missouri schools must rewrite their policies.