WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) applauded the Senate passage of bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening athletic programs at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA).
The USMMA Athletics Act of 2026, which passed the Senate on Aug. 6, 2026, would authorize the academy to establish a dedicated nonprofit organization to manage fundraising, licensing, ticketing, and other athletic operations. The change brings the USMMA into parity with the other four U.S. service academies, which already use 501(c)(3) entities to generate revenue for their sports programs.
Kelly, a 1986 graduate of the USMMA who has served on its Board of Visitors since 2023, highlighted the personal significance of supporting the academy’s mission. As an Arizona senator, Kelly regularly nominates students to the USMMA and the nation’s other military academies.
“Nothing prepared me better for my career—in the Navy, at NASA, and even in the Senate—than the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy,” Kelly said. “This bill will strengthen and elevate USMMA’s ability to invest in midshipmen both in and beyond the classroom.”
The USMMA trains midshipmen to serve as licensed officers in the U.S. Merchant Marine or as commissioned officers across the U.S. Armed Forces. The academy currently fields 19 varsity athletic teams, which account for approximately 55% of its overall student recruitment efforts. Supporters of the bill say giving the academy modern tools to manage athletic funds will directly boost recruitment and long-term enrollment.
“By supporting service academy athletics, we boost recruitment and retention at America’s service academies,” Wicker said. “It is time to give the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy the same tools that other academies have to make the most of athletics programs.”
The legislation builds on Kelly’s broader efforts to support the USMMA and strengthen the domestic maritime workforce, including his SHIPS for America Act, which targets investments in campus infrastructure alongside expanded recruitment and training programs.
Following its approval in the Senate, companion legislation for the USMMA Athletics Act of 2026 now awaits consideration by the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services.
