- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions (NYSPHSAA schools)
- High school authority
- New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA); PSAL in New York City; CHSAA and independent schools separately
- High school rule
- NYSPHSAA Amateur Rule, as revised October 20, 2021
- High school effective
- October 20, 2021. New York was the second state, after California, to allow high school NIL.
- College NIL
- Permitted, with state protection from NCAA penalties
- College law
- New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act (S.5891-F), Education Law § 6438-a
- College effective
- Signed November 21, 2022. Effective January 1, 2023.
- Paperwork
- Check your section's and district's own policies; several add disclosure steps
- Penalty
- Compensation connected to the school, section, or NYSPHSAA forfeits amateur status and eligibility.
Where high school NIL stands in New York.
New York allowed high school NIL early. On October 20, 2021 the NYSPHSAA executive committee revised its amateur rule so student-athletes may participate in commercial endorsements provided there is no school team, school, section, or NYSPHSAA affiliation. The association said it had become hard to tell the difference between an athlete capitalizing on fame and a student being a social media influencer, and chose to allow the activity with a firewall around the school.
The catch is that the NYSPHSAA governs public schools outside New York City. The Public Schools Athletic League in the city has no formal NIL rule and older amateur language, and Catholic and independent schools set their own policies. An athlete's rules depend on which association the school belongs to.
Effective: October 20, 2021. New York was the second state, after California, to allow high school NIL.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Commercial endorsements, sponsorships, and paid promotional appearances
- ✓Paid social media content and merchandise
- ✓Camps, lessons, and autographs as an individual
Not allowed
- ×Any school team, school, section, or NYSPHSAA affiliation in the endorsement
- ×Appearing in the school or section uniform in NIL content
- ×Using school, section, or NYSPHSAA logos or marks
- ×Money, gifts, or compensation connected to activities involving the school team, school, section, or NYSPHSAA, other than scholarships
The high school checklist.
- →Confirm which association governs your school: NYSPHSAA, PSAL, CHSAA, or an independent league
- →Keep every deal and every piece of content free of school and section identifiers
- →Check your section's and district's own policies; several add disclosure steps
- →Plan for New York's income tax on athlete earnings, which is among the highest in the country
Agents and advisors
The NYSPHSAA rule does not address representation. New York regulates athlete agents by statute. MSG works with New York high school athletes on NIL and brand within the amateur rule and confirms the governing association before any deal.
Penalties
Compensation connected to the school, section, or NYSPHSAA forfeits amateur status and eligibility.
College NIL in New York.
New York's college NIL law was signed by Governor Hochul on November 21, 2022, more than a year after the NCAA's interim policy. It prohibits colleges from upholding rules that prevent athletes from earning NIL compensation, protects scholarships and eligibility, and allows athletes to hire agents and attorneys.
The law is sometimes called a sovereign shield because it also bars athletic associations from penalizing New York schools or athletes for NIL activity the statute allows. Deals may not conflict with team contracts. Since July 2025, New York schools that opted into the House settlement may pay athletes directly. Separately, New York taxes athlete income aggressively, which affects how deals are structured.
Effective: Signed November 21, 2022. Effective January 1, 2023.
New York law: key points
- ✓Colleges may not restrict NIL compensation or penalize scholarships or eligibility for it
- ✓Athletes may hire agents and attorneys
- ✓Athletic associations may not penalize New York schools or athletes for permitted NIL activity
- ✓Deals may not conflict with team contracts
- ✓Direct school payments permitted under the House settlement for opted-in schools
- ✓Agents must comply with New York's athlete agent law
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 New York athlete.
New York is the largest media market in the country and has been open since 2021, and lacrosse, basketball, and baseball athletes with a following in the metro area have real leverage. The complication is the patchwork: a public school athlete on Long Island and one in Queens can be under different rules.
MSG starts every New York engagement by confirming the association and section, then keeps the brand entirely separate from the school. The rest of the rule is simple once that is settled.
New York NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in New York do NIL deals?
Yes, at NYSPHSAA schools, since October 20, 2021. Athletes may participate in commercial endorsements provided there is no school team, school, section, or NYSPHSAA affiliation, no school uniform, and no school or association marks. PSAL schools in New York City and independent schools follow their own rules.
Does the NYSPHSAA NIL rule apply in New York City?
No. The NYSPHSAA governs public schools outside New York City. The PSAL has no formal NIL rule, and Catholic and independent schools set their own policies. Confirm which association governs your school before signing.
Can a New York high school athlete wear a school uniform in a sponsored post?
No. The NYSPHSAA rule prohibits appearing in the school or section uniform and using school, section, or NYSPHSAA logos or marks in endorsements.
Can a New York high school athlete have an agent?
The NYSPHSAA rule does not address representation. New York regulates athlete agents by statute.
What happens if a New York high school athlete violates the NIL rule?
Receiving money, gifts, or compensation connected to the school team, school, section, or NYSPHSAA forfeits amateur status and eligibility.
What is New York's college NIL law?
The Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act (S.5891-F), signed November 21, 2022 and effective January 1, 2023. It bars colleges from restricting NIL compensation, allows agents and attorneys, and prohibits athletic associations from penalizing New York schools or athletes for permitted NIL activity.
Can Syracuse or St. John's 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.
- NYSPHSAA revises amateur rule to allow NIL (Daily Gazette, October 2021)
- High school athletes asserting NIL rights (Jackson Lewis)
- NIL legislation reaches New York State (Albany Law School, July 2023)
- New York NIL laws for college and high school athletes (RallyFuel, 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 New York State Public High School Athletic Association, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.