- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions
- High school authority
- Illinois High School Association (IHSA)
- High school rule
- IHSA By-law 3.084 (Name, Image, and Likeness)
- High school effective
- March 2023. Approved by member schools 419 to 50, making Illinois the 25th state to permit high school NIL.
- College NIL
- Permitted, including direct school payments
- College law
- Illinois Student-Athlete Endorsement Rights Act (SB 2338, 2021), amended by HB 1175 (2022) and HB 307 (effective January 1, 2025)
- College effective
- SB 2338 signed June 29, 2021, effective July 1, 2021. HB 1175 effective May 20, 2022. HB 307 effective January 1, 2025.
- Paperwork
- Work with your principal or the school's official representative on opportunities, as IHSA guidance directs
- Penalty
- Violations of By-law 3.084 or the amateur and recruiting by-laws are eligibility matters handled by the IHSA.
Where high school NIL stands in Illinois.
Illinois allowed high school NIL in March 2023 when member schools voted 419 to 50 to adopt By-law 3.084, which says a student may earn compensation from the use of the student's name, image, and likeness. It was a significant addition at the time: a large state with deep football and basketball talent and the Chicago market.
The by-law's limits are specific. No IHSA name, logos, or trademarks; no member school's name, logos, mascots, or trademarks; no use of school facilities; and no NIL activity during school hours, while traveling to or from an IHSA event, or during any IHSA event including practices, games, and tournaments. Compensation may not be based on performance, and vice-industry deals are prohibited.
Effective: March 2023. Approved by member schools 419 to 50, making Illinois the 25th state to permit high school NIL.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Endorsements, sponsorships, and paid promotional work as an individual
- ✓Paid social media content and brand partnerships
- ✓Appearances, autographs, camps, and merchandise in the athlete's own name
Not allowed
- ×Using the IHSA name, logos, or trademarks, or implying IHSA approval
- ×Using any member school's name, logos, mascots, or trademarks, or implying school approval
- ×Using a member school's facilities for NIL activity
- ×NIL activity during school hours, while traveling to or from an IHSA event, or during any IHSA event including practice
- ×Compensation based on athletic performance or offered as a recruiting inducement
- ×Vice-industry deals
The high school checklist.
- →Work with your principal or the school's official representative on opportunities, as IHSA guidance directs
- →Keep IHSA and school marks out of every deal and every piece of content
- →Schedule all NIL activity outside school hours and away from IHSA events and travel
- →Read By-law 3.084 in full; it lists the complete set of limitations
Agents and advisors
By-law 3.084 does not bar NIL representation. Illinois regulates athlete agents under its Athlete Agents Act, with registration through the state. MSG works with Illinois high school athletes on NIL and brand within the by-law.
Penalties
Violations of By-law 3.084 or the amateur and recruiting by-laws are eligibility matters handled by the IHSA.
College NIL in Illinois.
Illinois passed its college NIL law in the first wave, effective July 1, 2021. The original statute required written contracts for agreements worth more than $500, required disclosure to the school, and barred schools from arranging compensation. The 2022 amendment removed the ban on schools directly or indirectly arranging third-party compensation.
HB 307, effective January 1, 2025, substantially expanded the law. It removes limits on how NIL compensation may be structured, permits Illinois colleges to pay athletes directly when responding to a court order or as a recruiting incentive, extends coverage to the periods before and after enrollment, and exempts NIL agreements from public records disclosure. Layered on top since July 2025 is the House settlement's revenue-sharing framework.
Effective: SB 2338 signed June 29, 2021, effective July 1, 2021. HB 1175 effective May 20, 2022. HB 307 effective January 1, 2025.
Illinois law: key points
- ✓Written contract required for agreements over $500; disclosure to the school required
- ✓Schools may arrange third-party compensation since the 2022 amendment
- ✓Direct payments by Illinois colleges permitted under HB 307 since January 1, 2025, and under the House settlement
- ✓Coverage extends to pre-enrollment and post-enrollment periods
- ✓NIL agreements exempt from public records requests
- ✓Agents must register under the Illinois Athlete Agents Act
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 Illinois athlete.
Chicago is the third-largest media market in the country, and Illinois has been open since 2023, so brands there already know how high school NIL works. An athlete with a following in the Chicago area has as much local opportunity as anywhere outside Los Angeles, Dallas, and Miami.
The by-law's time-and-place rules are where families slip: a sponsored post shot on the bus to a game, or a brand appearance during school hours, is a violation even if everything else is clean. MSG schedules Illinois content around the IHSA calendar and keeps school marks out of frame.
Illinois NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in Illinois do NIL deals?
Yes, since March 2023. IHSA By-law 3.084 allows a student to earn compensation from NIL, provided no IHSA or school marks are used, no school facilities are involved, the activity happens outside school hours and IHSA events, and compensation is not based on performance.
When can Illinois high school athletes do NIL activity?
Outside school hours and away from IHSA events. By-law 3.084 prohibits NIL activity during school hours, while traveling to or from an IHSA event, and during any IHSA event including practices, games, and tournaments.
Can an Illinois high school athlete use their school's logo in a sponsored post?
No. The by-law prohibits using any member school's name, logos, mascots, or trademarks, and using the IHSA's name or marks, or implying that either approves of the deal.
Can an Illinois high school athlete have an agent?
By-law 3.084 does not restrict NIL representation. Illinois requires athlete agents to register under its Athlete Agents Act.
Does the IHSA require NIL deals to be reported?
IHSA guidance directs students to work closely with their principal or official representative on opportunities. Confirm your school's process, and read By-law 3.084 for the full list of limitations.
What is Illinois's college NIL law?
The Student-Athlete Endorsement Rights Act (SB 2338), effective July 1, 2021, amended in 2022 to let schools arrange compensation and expanded by HB 307 effective January 1, 2025 to allow direct school payments in certain cases, cover pre- and post-enrollment periods, and exempt agreements from public records.
Can Illinois colleges pay athletes directly?
Yes. HB 307, effective January 1, 2025, permits direct payments in response to a court order or as a recruiting incentive, and schools that opted into the House settlement may pay athletes directly since July 1, 2025 within the revenue-sharing cap.
- Illinois becomes 25th state to allow high school NIL (On3, March 2023)
- IHSA By-law 3.084 NIL summary (District 155)
- Illinois state NIL law summary (Eccker Sports Group)
- NIL laws by state, Illinois HB 307 (Athlete Agent Labs)
- 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 Illinois High School Association, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.