- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions
- High school authority
- North Carolina State Board of Education, enforced by the NCHSAA (public schools); NCISAA (independent schools)
- High school rule
- State Board of Education NIL rule (permanent rule effective July 1, 2025), administered by the NCHSAA; NCISAA policy for independent schools
- High school effective
- Public schools: October 14, 2024 by court order, permanent rule effective July 1, 2025. Independent schools (NCISAA): July 2024.
- College NIL
- Permitted
- College law
- Session Law 2021-99 (narrow statute). Executive Order 223 (2021) governed until it was rescinded March 8, 2024
- College effective
- Executive Order 223 effective July 2, 2021, rescinded March 8, 2024. Session Law 2021-99 remains in force.
- Paperwork
- Complete the free NFHS NIL course (athlete, plus a parent or guardian if under 18) and send the certificate to the NCHSAA before any deal
- Penalty
- Eligibility is enforced by the NCHSAA under the State Board rule. Missing the course, the disclosures, or the release, or using school marks, puts eligibility at risk.
Where high school NIL stands in North Carolina.
North Carolina took the long way here. The NCHSAA approved high school NIL in May 2023; within months the legislature passed SB 636 stripping the association of that authority and handing it to the State Board of Education. The State Board then adopted a temporary rule that banned NIL for public school athletes effective July 1, 2024, while private schools in the NCISAA allowed it. The family of Grimsley High quarterback Faizon Brandon sued, and on October 14, 2024 a Wake County judge ordered the State Board's proposed permanent rule into effect immediately. The permanent rule took effect July 1, 2025.
The rule allows endorsements, paid content, and appearances but wraps them in more process than most states. The athlete, and a parent if the athlete is under 18, must complete the free NFHS NIL course and provide the certificate to the NCHSAA. Every agreement must be shared with the athletic director, head coach, principal, superintendent, and local board chair, and must release the district, NCHSAA, DPI, and State Board from liability.
Effective: Public schools: October 14, 2024 by court order, permanent rule effective July 1, 2025. Independent schools (NCISAA): July 2024.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Commercial endorsements, paid social media, promotional appearances, and merchandise in the athlete's own name
- ✓Compensation in cash or in kind, including gifts and discounts, disclosed the same way
- ✓NIL for athletes at NCISAA independent schools under that association's own policy
Not allowed
- ×Any reference to the school district, school, conference, or NCHSAA in the deal or content
- ×Appearing in the school or team uniform in NIL content
- ×Endorsing or promoting goods or services during competition or school activities
- ×Displaying sponsor logos or brands while competing beyond the standard school uniform
- ×Activities that disrupt school operations
- ×Prohibited categories including adult entertainment, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and gambling
The high school checklist.
- →Complete the free NFHS NIL course (athlete, plus a parent or guardian if under 18) and send the certificate to the NCHSAA before any deal
- →Give a copy of every agreement to the athletic director, head coach, principal, superintendent, and chair of the local board of education
- →Include the required liability release for the district, NCHSAA, DPI, and State Board in every contract
- →Keep school marks, uniforms, and references out of all content
Agents and advisors
The State Board rule does not bar representation for NIL. North Carolina regulates athlete agents under the Uniform Athlete Agents Act, with registration through the Secretary of State. MSG handles the course certificates, the five-way disclosure, and the liability language for North Carolina athletes so the paperwork never becomes the violation.
Penalties
Eligibility is enforced by the NCHSAA under the State Board rule. Missing the course, the disclosures, or the release, or using school marks, puts eligibility at risk.
College NIL in North Carolina.
North Carolina's college NIL rights began with Governor Cooper's Executive Order 223 in July 2021, which let athletes at UNC, NC State, Duke, Wake Forest, and every other school in the state earn from their NIL when the NCAA's interim policy took effect. Governor Cooper rescinded that order on March 8, 2024, leaving the state without a comprehensive NIL statute.
What remains is Session Law 2021-99, a narrow law that authorizes NIL agency contracts under North Carolina law and exempts NIL contracts at public institutions from public records requests. Athletes now operate primarily under NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy. Some 2025 legislative proposals would expand university involvement and create a state clearinghouse; confirm their status with the General Assembly.
Effective: Executive Order 223 effective July 2, 2021, rescinded March 8, 2024. Session Law 2021-99 remains in force.
North Carolina law: key points
- ✓Executive Order 223 (2021) was rescinded March 8, 2024; no comprehensive state NIL statute is in force
- ✓Session Law 2021-99 authorizes NIL agency contracts and exempts NIL contracts at public institutions from public records
- ✓Direct school payments permitted under the House settlement for opted-in schools
- ✓NIL Go reporting applies to third-party deals of $600 or more
- ✓Agents must register under North Carolina'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 North Carolina athlete.
North Carolina has the most paperwork of any state we work in, and that is exactly why families here need help. Charlotte and Raleigh are growing markets with serious high school football and basketball, and the athletes who get this right will have a clear field.
MSG treats the North Carolina process as a checklist: course certificates filed, agreements copied to all five school officials, release language in every contract, uniform-free content. Do those four things and the rule is very workable.
North Carolina NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in North Carolina do NIL deals?
Yes. Public school athletes have been permitted since a court order on October 14, 2024, with the State Board of Education's permanent rule effective July 1, 2025. Athletes at NCISAA independent schools have been permitted since July 2024 under that association's policy.
What do North Carolina high school athletes have to do before an NIL deal?
Complete the free NFHS NIL course (with a parent if under 18) and send the certificate to the NCHSAA, share a copy of every agreement with the athletic director, head coach, principal, superintendent, and local board chair, and include a liability release for the district, NCHSAA, DPI, and State Board in the contract.
Can a North Carolina high school athlete reference their school in a deal?
No. The rule prohibits any reference to the district, school, conference, or NCHSAA, and bars appearing in the school uniform in NIL content.
Why was high school NIL banned in North Carolina in 2024?
After the NCHSAA approved NIL in 2023, the legislature gave rulemaking authority to the State Board of Education, which adopted a temporary rule banning it for public schools effective July 1, 2024. A Wake County judge ruled in October 2024 that the ban conflicted with the legislature's directive and ordered the permanent rule into effect immediately.
Can a North Carolina high school athlete have an agent?
The State Board rule does not restrict NIL representation. North Carolina requires athlete agents to register under its Uniform Athlete Agents Act.
What is North Carolina's college NIL law?
There is no comprehensive statute. Executive Order 223 governed from July 2021 until Governor Cooper rescinded it on March 8, 2024. Session Law 2021-99 still authorizes NIL agency contracts and shields NIL contracts at public institutions from public records. Athletes operate under NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy.
Can UNC or NC 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.
- Here are the NIL rules for North Carolina high school athletes (HighSchoolOT, October 2024)
- Judge rules NC high school athletes can profit from NIL (Poyner Spruill, October 2024)
- The current state of NIL for North Carolina high school athletes (Wake Forest Law Review)
- North Carolina NIL laws explained (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 North Carolina State Board of Education, enforced by the NCHSAA, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.