- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions
- High school authority
- Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA)
- High school rule
- MHSAA Handbook, Personal Branding Activities (PBA) policy, adopted by the Representative Council
- High school effective
- January 27, 2026, effective immediately. Michigan became the 46th state to allow high school NIL.
- College NIL
- Permitted
- College law
- Michigan House Bill 5217 (2020 PA 366), MCL 390.1731 et seq.
- College effective
- Signed December 30, 2020. Effective December 31, 2022.
- Paperwork
- Disclose every agreement to the MHSAA within seven days for review and approval, and be ready to modify it if asked
- Penalty
- Violations can render the athlete ineligible, and school involvement in a deal can jeopardize the school's MHSAA membership. The MHSAA reviews every disclosed agreement and may require modifications to preserve eligibility.
Where high school NIL stands in Michigan.
Michigan was one of the last states to allow high school NIL, and it did so on January 27, 2026 when the MHSAA Representative Council approved an expansion of what it calls personal branding activities. Before that, the MHSAA permitted only camps, clinics, and private lessons. Now athletes may be paid for endorsements, social media content, appearances, autograph sessions, modeling, and merchandise.
The policy is built around one idea: individual opportunities for individual athletes. Nothing resembling a collective or a group deal is allowed, nothing may be tied to performance, awards, or team results, and schools, coaches, staff, and boosters may not solicit, arrange, negotiate, or promote deals. Every agreement must be disclosed to the MHSAA within seven days for review and approval, and the association may require changes. Schools may adopt stricter local rules.
Effective: January 27, 2026, effective immediately. Michigan became the 46th state to allow high school NIL.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Social media endorsements and sponsored content
- ✓Personal appearances, autograph and photo sessions, and modeling
- ✓Merchandise sales and promotional content in the athlete's own name
- ✓Camps, clinics, and private lessons, which were already permitted
- ✓No cap on compensation if it reflects fair market value
Not allowed
- ×Group deals, collectives, or anything resembling pay for play
- ×Compensation tied to athletic performance, statistics, awards, playing time, team participation, or competition outcomes
- ×School names, logos, mascots, uniforms, facilities, or other school intellectual property
- ×NIL activity during school hours, at any MHSAA event including practice, on school property, or promoted on school media channels
- ×Any involvement by schools, coaches, employees, or booster clubs in arranging or promoting a deal
- ×Prohibited categories: alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, gambling, gaming, firearms, performance-enhancing substances, and adult entertainment
The high school checklist.
- →Disclose every agreement to the MHSAA within seven days for review and approval, and be ready to modify it if asked
- →Confirm the deal is an individual opportunity with no group or collective structure
- →Create all sponsored content off school property, outside school hours, and away from MHSAA events
- →Check whether your school or district has adopted stricter local rules
Agents and advisors
The MHSAA policy does not bar NIL representation; its guidance encourages families to get professional help with contracts, taxes, and college eligibility. Michigan regulates athlete agents under its Uniform Athlete Agents Act. MSG works with Michigan high school athletes on NIL and brand within the policy and handles the seven-day MHSAA disclosure.
Penalties
Violations can render the athlete ineligible, and school involvement in a deal can jeopardize the school's MHSAA membership. The MHSAA reviews every disclosed agreement and may require modifications to preserve eligibility.
College NIL in Michigan.
Michigan's college NIL law was signed at the end of 2020 but written to take effect two years later, on December 31, 2022, so Michigan athletes operated under the NCAA's interim policy in between. The statute bars institutions, the NCAA, and conferences from preventing an athlete from competing because of NIL compensation or professional representation.
Two provisions stand out. Athletes must disclose proposed NIL contracts to the school at least seven days before entering them, and the law lists prohibited product categories. Since July 2025, Michigan schools that opted into the House settlement may also pay athletes directly.
Effective: Signed December 30, 2020. Effective December 31, 2022.
Michigan law: key points
- ✓Schools, the NCAA, and conferences may not restrict NIL compensation or scholarship status because of it
- ✓Athletes may hire agents, consultants, and attorneys
- ✓Proposed contracts must be disclosed to the school at least seven days before signing
- ✓Prohibited product categories apply
- ✓Direct school payments permitted under the House settlement for opted-in schools
- ✓Agents must register under Michigan'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 Michigan athlete.
Michigan is the newest market in the country, and Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Ann Arbor are large enough that brands will move quickly. Athletes who get organized now will be the first names local businesses learn.
The MHSAA is the only state association we work with that reviews and approves each deal. MSG structures Michigan agreements to pass that review the first time: individual, off campus, no school marks, and filed within the seven-day window.
Michigan NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in Michigan do NIL deals?
Yes, since January 27, 2026. The MHSAA expanded its personal branding policy to allow endorsements, social media content, appearances, autographs, modeling, and merchandise, as long as deals are individual, unconnected to the school, and disclosed to the MHSAA within seven days for review.
When did Michigan allow high school NIL?
January 27, 2026, when the MHSAA Representative Council approved an expansion of personal branding activities effective immediately. Michigan was the 46th state to permit it.
Do Michigan high school athletes have to report NIL deals?
Yes. Every agreement must be disclosed to the MHSAA within seven days for review and approval. The association may require modifications to preserve eligibility.
Can a Michigan high school athlete join an NIL collective?
No. The MHSAA policy allows only individual opportunities for individual athletes and prohibits anything resembling a group deal, collective, or pay for play.
Can a Michigan high school athlete have an agent?
The MHSAA policy does not prohibit NIL representation and encourages families to get professional guidance. Michigan requires athlete agents to register under its Uniform Athlete Agents Act.
What is Michigan's college NIL law?
House Bill 5217, signed December 30, 2020 and effective December 31, 2022. It bars schools and the NCAA from restricting NIL compensation, allows agents, requires disclosure of proposed contracts to the school at least seven days before signing, and lists prohibited product categories.
Can Michigan and Michigan State 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.
- MHSAA approves expanded NIL opportunities (ClickOnDetroit, January 2026)
- Michigan extends NIL opportunities to high school athletes (Varnum, January 2026)
- Michigan high school athletes can now get paid (Miller Johnson, January 2026)
- Enrolled House Bill 5217 (Michigan Legislature)
- Michigan NIL law overview (Foster Swift)
- 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 Michigan High School Athletic Association, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.