- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions
- High school authority
- Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA)
- High school rule
- MPSSAA NIL Guidance under COMAR 13A.06.03.10 (Amateur Rules)
- High school effective
- December 2022. Approved unanimously by all 24 local education agencies. Guidance most recently republished March 2026.
- College NIL
- Permitted
- College law
- Jordan McNair Safe and Fair Play Act (SB 439, 2021), Md. Code, Educ. § 15-131
- College effective
- Signed May 18, 2021. Effective July 1, 2023.
- Paperwork
- Confirm your local school system's own disclosure expectations
- Penalty
- Violations put amateur status and eligibility at risk under COMAR 13A.06.03.10. Involvement in a collective results in ineligibility.
Where high school NIL stands in Maryland.
Maryland allowed high school NIL in December 2022 through MPSSAA guidance that all 24 local school systems approved unanimously, making it the 24th state to do so. The guidance is modeled on New Jersey, New York, California, and Pennsylvania: athletes may earn from endorsements, social media, autographs, and appearances as long as the activity stays completely separate from school athletics.
Two features are unique to Maryland. The MPSSAA was the first state association to prohibit NIL deals promoting video games and mobile devices, and the first to outright bar school employees, contractors, and vendors from forming collectives. No employee, contractor, or volunteer of a school or district may represent an athlete or be involved in a deal, and a parent who works for the district must act only as a parent. A 2023 bill that would have forced the MPSSAA to rescind the guidance did not become law.
Effective: December 2022. Approved unanimously by all 24 local education agencies. Guidance most recently republished March 2026.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Commercial endorsements and paid promotional appearances
- ✓Paid social media content and merchandise
- ✓Autographs, camps, and lessons in the athlete's own name
- ✓Compensation in cash or in kind, kept separate from school athletics
Not allowed
- ×Any reference to a member school, local education agency, or the MPSSAA
- ×School uniforms, logos, mascots, or names in NIL content
- ×NIL collectives, and any collective formed by school employees, contractors, or vendors
- ×Deals promoting video games or mobile devices, a Maryland-specific ban
- ×Prohibited categories including alcohol, tobacco, gambling, adult entertainment, and weapons, firearms, and ammunition
- ×School employees, contractors, or volunteers acting as an athlete's representative or being involved in a deal
- ×Promises of NIL opportunities to entice a transfer or enrollment
The high school checklist.
- →Read the current MPSSAA NIL Guidance; it is updated and republished, most recently in March 2026
- →Keep school staff, including a parent who works for the district, out of the deal in any official capacity
- →Check the category list, including the video game and mobile device ban, before accepting a brand
- →Confirm your local school system's own disclosure expectations
Agents and advisors
The MPSSAA guidance bars school employees from acting as representatives but does not bar outside NIL representation. Maryland regulates athlete agents under its Uniform Athlete Agents Act. MSG works with Maryland high school athletes on NIL and brand within the guidance.
Penalties
Violations put amateur status and eligibility at risk under COMAR 13A.06.03.10. Involvement in a collective results in ineligibility.
College NIL in Maryland.
Maryland's college NIL law, the Jordan McNair Safe and Fair Play Act, was signed in May 2021 but took effect July 1, 2023, two years after the NCAA's interim policy. It is named for the University of Maryland football player who died after a 2018 practice, and pairs NIL rights with athlete safety provisions. Athletes may earn NIL compensation and retain agents without losing eligibility.
The statute requires athletes to disclose NIL contracts to a designated school official before entering them, bars contracts that conflict with the athletic program's contracts, and as written prohibits institutions from paying athletes directly. Since July 2025 the House settlement permits direct revenue sharing for opted-in schools, and a 2025 state task force has been studying updates to the law.
Effective: Signed May 18, 2021. Effective July 1, 2023.
Maryland law: key points
- ✓Athletes may earn NIL compensation and retain agents without losing eligibility
- ✓Contracts must be disclosed to a designated school official before signing
- ✓Contracts may not conflict with the athletic program's own contracts
- ✓Athlete safety provisions accompany the NIL rights
- ✓Direct school payments permitted under the House settlement for opted-in schools; a state task force is reviewing the statute
- ✓Agents must register under Maryland's Uniform 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 Maryland athlete.
Maryland sits between the Washington and Baltimore media markets and produces top lacrosse, basketball, and football talent. The MPSSAA rules are well written and stable, and brands in the region know them.
The Maryland-specific traps are the video game and mobile device ban, which rules out a category many young athletes would otherwise monetize, and the collective ban. MSG screens every Maryland deal against both before anything is signed.
Maryland NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in Maryland do NIL deals?
Yes, since December 2022, under MPSSAA guidance approved by all 24 local school systems. Athletes may earn from endorsements, social media, autographs, and appearances, provided there is no reference to the school, district, or MPSSAA, no school marks or uniforms, no collective, and no involvement by school employees.
Can a Maryland high school athlete promote a video game?
No. The MPSSAA was the first state association to prohibit NIL deals promoting video games and mobile devices.
Are NIL collectives allowed for Maryland high school athletes?
No. The MPSSAA prohibits collectives and was the first association to bar school employees, contractors, and vendors from forming them. Involvement results in ineligibility.
Can my coach help me with an NIL deal in Maryland?
No. Employees, contractors, and volunteers of a school or district may not act as an athlete's representative or be involved in a deal. A parent who works for the district must act only as a parent.
Can a Maryland high school athlete have an agent?
Outside NIL representation is not prohibited. Maryland requires athlete agents to register under its Uniform Athlete Agents Act.
What is Maryland's college NIL law?
The Jordan McNair Safe and Fair Play Act (SB 439), signed May 18, 2021 and effective July 1, 2023. It allows NIL compensation and agents, requires disclosure to a school official before signing, bars conflicts with program contracts, and includes athlete safety provisions.
Can Maryland pay athletes directly?
The state statute as written bars direct institutional payments, but the House settlement permits revenue sharing for opted-in schools since July 1, 2025, and a 2025 state task force has been reviewing the law. Confirm the current position with the school.
- MPSSAA NIL Guidance (republished March 2026)
- MPSSAA opens the door for NIL deals (Baltimore Banner, December 2022)
- Maryland becomes 24th state to allow high school NIL (On3, March 2023)
- Maryland enacts the Jordan McNair Safe and Fair Play Act (National Law Review)
- Understanding Maryland's NIL requirements (Steven Krieger Law, January 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 Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.