High School NIL in 2026: What You Can and Cannot Do to Monetize Your Brand

As of late 2025, 45 states plus Washington, D.C. allow some form of high school NIL monetization. High school NIL is not a free-for-all. Violating your state association's rules can result in a total loss of athletic eligibility, sometimes for a full year, sometimes permanently.

Before signing anything, find your state's specific rulebook. The differences matter.

Almost every state that permits NIL strictly prohibits athletes from using school IP.

Athletes generally cannot: - Wear school uniforms, warm-ups, or branded gear in promotional content - Use school logos, mascots, colors in trademarked combinations, or fight songs - Film promotional content inside school facilities such as locker rooms, weight rooms, or stadiums - Reference the school in a way that implies endorsement

Safer alternatives: - Film in neutral training environments - Wear club, travel team, or personal-brand apparel - Use generic athletic backdrops

Public and private schools in the same state may have entirely different NIL rules.

Texas example: The public school league (UIL) generally bans high school NIL, except for 17+ students who already hold a college commitment. Private schools under TAPPS also strictly prohibit it.

South Carolina example: The public school league recently rolled back NIL permissions, while the private school association (SCISA) still allows it.

The rule: Never assume "my state allows NIL" tells you the whole story. Confirm your specific association.

High schoolers are universally banned from endorsing "vice" industries, including:

• Alcohol
• Gambling and sportsbooks
• Tobacco, vaping, and cannabis
• Adult content
• Firearms (in most states)

Many states have also banned booster-led NIL collectives at the high school level to prevent disguised "pay-for-play" recruiting. If a "collective" approaches a 9th grader with a guaranteed monthly check, that is almost certainly a violation in most jurisdictions.

• Read your state association NIL policy in full
• Confirm whether public and private rules differ
• Require every deal in writing, with a parent or guardian signature
• Disclose every deal to your school AD before activating it
• Never use school IP without explicit written permission
• Avoid prohibited industries, no matter the dollar amount
• Track all income for tax purposes from dollar one