As fall sports get going, a lot of families are asking the same question: can my kid sign an NIL deal? The short answer is that it depends on where you live. Here's a plain-English guide to how high school NIL works, with Georgia as the example.
Quick note up front: this is an overview of what rules say, not legal advice. Rules change, and the final word always comes from your state's athletic association.
There's no national rule
College NIL has the House settlement, the College Sports Commission, and a pending federal bill. High school NIL has none of that. It's handled state by state, mostly through each state's high school athletic association. The Georgia Recorder reported that when the Georgia High School Association introduced its NIL guidelines in October 2023, Georgia became one of 45 states to do so.
Where Georgia stands
Georgia allows it. According to WSB-TV, GHSA rules let athletes earn money from their name, image, and likeness, with guardrails:
- No pay-for-play. Compensation can't depend on athletic performance or achievement.
- No recruiting inducements. Money can't be an incentive to enroll or stay at a specific school.
- No school money. Compensation can't come from the school or anyone acting as its agent.
- No school marks. No school logo, name, uniforms, apparel, or equipment.
- Disclosure. Athletes must notify their school within seven days of signing a deal.
WSB-TV also noted NIL compensation counts as taxable income and may affect financial aid.
A state law that stalled
Georgia lawmakers have tried to add more protection. In February, the Georgia House unanimously passed House Bill 383, the Georgia High School NIL Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Brent Cox, WALB reported. Among other things, it would end NIL contracts when an athlete graduates or leaves high school. By April, the Georgia Recorder reported the bill had stalled in the state Senate.
Another state's approach
Rules vary a lot by state. In May, WNDU reported Indiana's IHSAA approved "Personal Branding Activities" for the 2026-27 school year. Indiana's version bans school logos and uniforms, keeps schools out of arranging deals, prohibits inducements to attend a particular high school, and bars categories including gambling, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and firearms.
Questions families should ask
- What does our state athletic association's NIL policy say, word for word?
- Do we need to report deals, and to whom?
- Can the athlete wear anything that identifies the school?
- Which product categories are banned?
- If the athlete moves to another state or plays in college, how do the rules change?
Why this matters for the fan relationship
High school is where a lot of athlete fan bases begin. Neighbors, classmates, and local fans often follow a player long before college coaches do. The rules above mostly exist to keep that relationship clean: athletes earning from their own name and personality, not from their school's brand.
The best thing families can do is learn their state's rules early, before an opportunity shows up.
Sources
- Georgia High School Association approves NIL deals for high school athletes (WSB-TV, Oct. 3, 2023)
- Proposal to protect young Georgia athletes from street agents appears to be sidelined (Georgia Recorder, April 2, 2026)
- Georgia House passes bill allowing high school athletes to profit from NIL deals (WALB, Feb. 12, 2026)
- IHSAA approves rule allowing high school athletes to pursue NIL-style deals (WNDU, May 4, 2026)