- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions, starting 2026-27
- High school authority
- Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA)
- High school rule
- IHSAA By-law 5-7, Personal Branding Activities (PBA)
- High school effective
- Adopted May 4, 2026 by a 13 to 5 vote of the IHSAA Board of Directors. Effective with the 2026-27 school year.
- College NIL
- Permitted, with no state NIL statute
- College law
- No Indiana NIL statute. Agents governed by the Revised Uniform Athlete Agents Act, Ind. Code § 25-5.2
- College effective
- NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy govern.
- Paperwork
- Notify the athletic director in writing within 48 hours of entering any PBA agreement
- Penalty
- Prohibited activities result in ineligibility. Coaches have publicly warned that the penalties are severe and that the main risk is families misreading the fine print.
Where high school NIL stands in Indiana.
Indiana was one of the last states to prohibit high school NIL, and that ends with the 2026-27 school year. On May 4, 2026 the IHSAA Board of Directors voted 13 to 5 to adopt a Personal Branding Activities rule that lets athletes monetize their own brand without losing amateur status. The association chose the term deliberately to signal that this is not the college model: schools and collectives may not arrange or fund deals.
Commissioner Paul Neidig framed the line simply: students own their name; they do not own the school's name, the uniform, or the facility. Deals may not use school affiliation, uniforms, marks, or facilities, may not be based on athletic performance, may not run through a collective, and may not be used to recruit an athlete to another school. Athletes must notify the athletic director in writing within 48 hours of entering any agreement, and schools may review agreements for compliance but may not block compliant ones.
Effective: Adopted May 4, 2026 by a 13 to 5 vote of the IHSAA Board of Directors. Effective with the 2026-27 school year.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Endorsements, social media content, and appearances in the athlete's own name
- ✓Personal brand development and non-school, non-athletic branding activities
- ✓Skills-based and instructional services such as camps, clinics, and private instruction, subject to the by-law's terms
- ✓Deals signed on or after the start of the 2026-27 school year
Not allowed
- ×Any use of school affiliation, name, logos, mascots, uniforms, or facilities
- ×Compensation based on athletic performance in school competition
- ×Deals run through a collective or any entity benefiting the school
- ×Deals used as an inducement to enroll at or transfer to another high school
- ×Prohibited categories: gambling, gaming, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, illegal or banned substances, performance-enhancing substances, sexually explicit material, and weapons
- ×Deals signed before the 2026-27 school year, which fall outside the rule
The high school checklist.
- →Notify the athletic director in writing within 48 hours of entering any PBA agreement
- →Expect the school to review the agreement for compliance; provide it promptly
- →Confirm the deal does not affect NCAA, NJCAA, or NAIA eligibility; the by-law puts that responsibility on the student and parents
- →Handle employment paperwork and taxes; the by-law puts those on the family as well
Agents and advisors
The IHSAA rule does not bar NIL representation. Indiana adopted the Revised Uniform Athlete Agents Act, which requires agents to register with the Secretary of State before soliciting Indiana athletes; the registration requirement reaches recruiting contact itself, not only signed contracts. MSG works with Indiana high school athletes on NIL and brand within the rule and handles the 48-hour notice.
Penalties
Prohibited activities result in ineligibility. Coaches have publicly warned that the penalties are severe and that the main risk is families misreading the fine print.
College NIL in Indiana.
Indiana has never passed a college NIL law. Athletes at Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame, and every other school in the state operate under the NCAA framework, the House settlement, and each school's own NIL policy. No statute means no state-level representation protections, so campus policy controls what an athlete can sign.
Since July 2025, Indiana schools that opted into the House settlement may pay athletes directly within the revenue-sharing cap, and third-party deals of $600 or more are reported through NIL Go. Agents must register with the Secretary of State before contacting Indiana athletes.
Effective: NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy govern.
Indiana 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
- ✓School policies differ campus to campus on disclosure and prohibited categories
- ✓Agents must register under Indiana's Revised Uniform Athlete Agents Act before soliciting athletes
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 Indiana athlete.
Indiana is basketball country, and the market for a high school athlete with a following in Indianapolis or Fort Wayne is about to open for the first time. The families who understand the rule on day one will get the first offers.
The 48-hour notice is the tightest disclosure window in the country. MSG files it the same day for every Indiana athlete, keeps school marks out of every deal, and structures agreements so they clear the school's review the first time.
Indiana NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in Indiana do NIL deals?
Yes, starting with the 2026-27 school year. The IHSAA adopted a Personal Branding Activities rule on May 4, 2026 that allows athletes to monetize their own brand as long as no school affiliation, uniforms, marks, or facilities are used, compensation is not tied to performance, and the athletic director is notified in writing within 48 hours.
When did Indiana allow high school NIL?
The IHSAA Board of Directors voted 13 to 5 on May 4, 2026 to adopt the rule, effective with the 2026-27 school year. Before that, Indiana was one of a handful of states that prohibited it entirely.
Do Indiana high school athletes have to report NIL deals?
Yes. Athletes must notify the school's athletic director in writing within 48 hours of entering any Personal Branding Activity agreement. Schools may review agreements for compliance but may not prohibit compliant activities.
Can an Indiana high school athlete join an NIL collective?
No. The IHSAA rule prohibits deals that run through a collective or any entity benefiting the school, and prohibits schools from arranging or funding deals.
Can an Indiana high school athlete have an agent?
The IHSAA rule does not restrict NIL representation. Indiana requires athlete agents to register with the Secretary of State before soliciting athletes.
What is Indiana's college NIL law?
There isn't one. Indiana has no state NIL statute, so college athletes operate under NCAA rules, the House settlement, and their school's policy. Indiana's Revised Uniform Athlete Agents Act governs agents.
Can Indiana and Purdue pay athletes directly?
Yes, for schools that opted into the House settlement, since July 1, 2025, within the revenue-sharing cap. Third-party deals remain separate and uncapped.
- IHSAA board votes to allow high school NIL for 2026-27 (On3, May 2026)
- IHSAA approves plan allowing NIL deals (WTHR, April 2026)
- Indiana high school NIL proposal details (Youth Sports Business Report, April 2026)
- Indiana NIL laws 2026: high school, college, and agent rules (Leopoldus Law)
- 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 Indiana High School Athletic Association, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.