- High school NIL
- Permitted
- High school authority
- Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA)
- High school rule
- LHSAA NIL position statement, read with Bylaw 1.25 (Maintaining Amateur Status)
- High school effective
- April 7, 2022. Reaffirmed and expanded with education partnerships in 2022 and July 2024.
- College NIL
- Permitted
- College law
- Louisiana SB 60 (2021), amended by SB 250 (2022) and again in 2024
- College effective
- SB 60 effective July 1, 2021. SB 250 effective June 10, 2022. Further amendments effective May 28, 2024.
- Paperwork
- Read Bylaw 1.25 and the LHSAA position statement before signing; the rule is short and the amateur-status line is what matters
- Penalty
- Violations of Bylaw 1.25 cost amateur status and eligibility under LHSAA rules.
Where high school NIL stands in Louisiana.
Louisiana was one of the first Southern states to allow high school NIL, and it did so without writing a new rule. On April 7, 2022 the LHSAA executive committee adopted a position statement confirming that its bylaws do not prohibit athletes from commercial activity in their individual capacity, as long as they comply with Bylaw 1.25 on amateur status and all other LHSAA rules. Executive Director Eddie Bonine described the approach as educate, not regulate.
That education is mandatory for schools. Principals and athletic directors must complete an NIL course through the LHSAA's partner, and in July 2024 the association added a second partnership to give every student a compliant platform. In 2025 the legislature created a statewide NIL task force, which reported in January 2026, and a 2026 bill would require agents representing Louisiana athletes to register with the state.
Effective: April 7, 2022. Reaffirmed and expanded with education partnerships in 2022 and July 2024.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Endorsements, sponsorships, paid content, and appearances in the athlete's individual capacity
- ✓Monetized content through platforms the LHSAA has partnered with
- ✓Camps, lessons, and merchandise in the athlete's own name
Not allowed
- ×Anything that violates Bylaw 1.25 amateur status, such as pay for play or compensation for athletic performance
- ×Deals that run through the school, its staff, or boosters, or that function as recruiting inducements
- ×Relying on LHSAA compliance alone: the position statement says it does not guarantee eligibility under NCAA, NAIA, or NJCAA rules
The high school checklist.
- →Read Bylaw 1.25 and the LHSAA position statement before signing; the rule is short and the amateur-status line is what matters
- →Keep the school out of the deal and out of the content
- →Check the deal against NCAA rules too if college eligibility is the goal; the LHSAA says its approval does not carry over
- →Watch the legislature: agent registration and NIL oversight bills are moving
Agents and advisors
The LHSAA does not restrict NIL representation. A 2026 bill (SB 389) would require agents representing student-athletes in Louisiana to register with the Department of Justice, complete training, and pass background checks. Louisiana already regulates athlete agents by statute. MSG's work in Louisiana is structured to meet both.
Penalties
Violations of Bylaw 1.25 cost amateur status and eligibility under LHSAA rules.
College NIL in Louisiana.
Louisiana passed its college NIL law in 2021 and loosened it a year later. SB 250 removed the ban on boosters and collectives compensating athletes and the ban on schools facilitating deals, keeping the law's core purpose while giving LSU and other programs room to compete. Vice-industry restrictions remain: no tobacco, gambling, or similar categories.
The law requires at least five hours of financial literacy and life skills training twice before graduation, bars deals that extend past an athlete's time in college, and keeps contract details confidential from public records. During the 2024-25 year, 427 Louisiana athletes had NIL deals worth about $17 million according to the Legislative Fiscal Office, and bills to exempt NIL income from state tax and to regulate agents were before the 2026 legislature.
Effective: SB 60 effective July 1, 2021. SB 250 effective June 10, 2022. Further amendments effective May 28, 2024.
Louisiana law: key points
- ✓Boosters and collectives may compensate athletes since SB 250 (2022)
- ✓Schools may facilitate deals
- ✓Vice-industry deals prohibited (tobacco, gambling, and similar)
- ✓Two five-hour financial literacy and life skills sessions required before graduation
- ✓Deals may not extend beyond the athlete's time in college; contract details are confidential
- ✓Direct school payments permitted under the House settlement for opted-in schools
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 Louisiana athlete.
Louisiana is fertile ground: elite football and baseball talent, New Orleans and Baton Rouge as markets, and an association that wants athletes to succeed at this rather than police them.
The trap is the gap between LHSAA rules and NCAA rules. A deal the LHSAA has no problem with can still create a college problem if it looks like a recruiting inducement. MSG checks Louisiana high school deals against both before an athlete signs.
Louisiana NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in Louisiana do NIL deals?
Yes, since April 7, 2022. The LHSAA's position statement confirms its bylaws do not prohibit athletes from commercial activity in their individual capacity, provided they comply with Bylaw 1.25 on amateur status and all other LHSAA rules.
Does the LHSAA regulate high school NIL deals?
Lightly. The association's stated approach is to educate rather than regulate. Schools must complete required NIL training, and athletes must stay within the amateur-status rule, but there is no LHSAA disclosure form or approval process.
Does LHSAA approval protect my college eligibility?
No. The LHSAA position statement says compliance with its bylaws does not ensure eligibility under NCAA, NAIA, or NJCAA rules. Deals should be checked against college rules as well.
Can a Louisiana high school athlete have an agent?
The LHSAA does not restrict NIL representation. Louisiana regulates athlete agents by statute, and a 2026 bill would add registration with the Department of Justice, training, and background checks.
Is Louisiana changing its high school NIL rules?
The rules were stable as of August 2026, but the legislature created an NIL task force in 2025 that reported in January 2026, and bills on agent registration and NIL taxation were pending. Check the LHSAA before signing.
What is Louisiana's college NIL law?
SB 60, effective July 1, 2021, amended by SB 250 in 2022 to allow boosters and collectives to pay athletes and schools to facilitate deals. It bars vice-industry deals, requires two five-hour financial literacy sessions, limits deals to the athlete's time in college, and keeps contract details confidential.
Can LSU pay athletes directly?
Yes. Schools that opted into the House settlement may pay athletes directly since July 1, 2025, within the revenue-sharing cap. Louisiana's state law also permits collectives and school facilitation of third-party deals.
- LHSAA allows student-athletes to receive NIL benefits (LHSAA release, April 2022)
- Louisiana NIL Task Force Report (Board of Regents, January 2026)
- Louisiana state NIL law summary (Eccker Sports Group)
- NIL protections in the Louisiana legislature (April 2026)
- 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 Louisiana High School Athletic Association, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.