- High school NIL
- Prohibited
- High school authority
- Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA)
- High school rule
- HHSAA amateur rules
- High school effective
- Long-standing.
- College NIL
- Permitted, with no state NIL statute
- College law
- No Hawaii NIL statute. Legislative deliberations have not produced a bill
- College effective
- NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy govern.
- Paperwork
- Treat any offer of money or value tied to athletics as an eligibility risk while HHSAA-eligible, and decline it
- Penalty
- Loss of amateur status and HHSAA eligibility.
Where high school NIL stands in Hawaii.
Hawaii is one of only four states, with Alabama, Mississippi, and Wyoming, that still prohibits high school athletes from monetizing their name, image, and likeness. The HHSAA's amateur rules do not permit it, and there is no state law overriding them.
Hawaii also has no college NIL statute; the legislature has discussed the topic but not passed a bill. College athletes at Hawaii operate under NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy.
Effective: Long-standing.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Building a personal brand and audience with no compensation attached
- ✓College NIL once enrolled, under NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy
Not allowed
- ×NIL compensation while HHSAA-eligible
- ×Endorsements, sponsorships, or paid content that trade on athletic identity during high school
- ×Deals arranged through the school
The high school checklist.
- →Treat any offer of money or value tied to athletics as an eligibility risk while HHSAA-eligible, and decline it
- →Plan NIL around college enrollment
- →Watch the HHSAA and the legislature for changes; Hawaii is now one of the last holdouts
Agents and advisors
For HHSAA athletes the working rule is no compensated agreements while eligible. Hawaii regulates athlete agents by statute. MSG's work with Hawaii high school athletes is preparation and planning for college.
Penalties
Loss of amateur status and HHSAA eligibility.
College NIL in Hawaii.
Hawaii has no college NIL law. Athletes at the University of Hawaii and other schools operate under NCAA or NAIA rules, the House settlement, and school policy.
Since July 2025, Hawaii schools that opted into the House settlement may pay athletes directly within the revenue-sharing cap.
Effective: NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy govern.
Hawaii law: key points
- ✓No state NIL statute; NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy control
- ✓Direct school payments permitted under the House settlement for opted-in schools
- ✓NIL Go reporting applies to third-party deals of $600 or more
- ✓Agents must comply with Hawaii's athlete agent law
National framework (House settlement)
Since July 1, 2025, college NIL runs on two tracks. Third-party deals with brands and businesses remain open, and the House v. NCAA settlement now lets Division I schools that opted in pay athletes directly, capped at roughly $20.5 million per school in the first year and rising annually. State law sits on top of that framework and can add rules, but cannot take the federal settlement terms away.
- →Third-party NIL deals of $600 or more must be reported through the NIL Go clearinghouse, generally within five business days, and are reviewed for fair market value
- →Direct payments from a school count against that school's revenue-sharing cap; third-party deals do not
- →The College Sports Commission handles enforcement tied to settlement rules; the NCAA still governs eligibility
- →Every school also has its own NIL policy on disclosure, prohibited categories, and use of school marks, and it applies alongside state law
- →Federal NIL legislation has been proposed repeatedly and remains unresolved
Major Sports Group
What this means for a Hawaii athlete.
Hawaii produces football and volleyball talent well beyond its size, and the rest of the country has moved on: 46 states now allow high school NIL. Pressure on the HHSAA will grow.
MSG's job for a Hawaii athlete is to build the brand and the plan without a dollar changing hands, so the athlete is ready on the first day of college.
Hawaii NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in Hawaii do NIL deals?
No. The HHSAA's amateur rules prohibit NIL compensation for high school athletes, and there is no state law overriding them. Hawaii is one of four states that still prohibit it.
Is Hawaii going to allow high school NIL?
Not as of August 2026. With 46 states now permitting it, pressure on the HHSAA is likely to grow. Watch the association and the legislature.
Can a Hawaii high school athlete have an agent?
Not for compensated agreements while HHSAA-eligible. Hawaii regulates athlete agents by statute.
What is Hawaii's college NIL law?
There isn't one. Hawaii athletes operate under NCAA or NAIA rules, the House settlement, and school policy.
Can the University of Hawaii pay athletes directly?
Yes, for schools that opted into the House settlement, since July 1, 2025, within the revenue-sharing cap.
- NIL laws by state, Hawaii (Athlete Agent Labs)
- IHSAA board votes to allow Indiana NIL, listing remaining holdouts (On3, May 2026)
- NIL rules for high school athletes in each state, HHSAA (USA Today HSS)
- NIL Rules in 2026: updated guide (Sportsepreneur, June 2026)
Rules change, sometimes mid-season. This page reflects the sources above as of August 2026 and is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the current position of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.