- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions
- High school authority
- North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA)
- High school rule
- NDHSAA NIL policy
- High school effective
- June 7, 2022, the same day as Minnesota.
- College NIL
- Permitted, with no state NIL statute
- College law
- No North Dakota NIL statute. NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy govern
- College effective
- NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy govern.
- Paperwork
- Confirm your school's disclosure expectations
- Penalty
- Violations of the amateur status rules cost eligibility under association rules.
Where high school NIL stands in North Dakota.
North Dakota allowed high school NIL on June 7, 2022, when the NDHSAA adopted an NIL policy on the same day as Minnesota. Athletes may be compensated for their name, image, and likeness as long as the activity is not connected to the school or the association. The policy also bars compensation from the school or its boosters and requires market-value compensation.
The standard conditions apply: no school or association names, logos, or uniforms, no compensation tied to performance, no enrollment inducements, and no involvement by the school or its boosters.
Effective: June 7, 2022, the same day as Minnesota.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Endorsements, sponsorships, and paid content as an individual
- ✓Appearances, autographs, camps, and merchandise in the athlete's own name
Not allowed
- ×School or association names, logos, or uniforms in NIL content
- ×Compensation tied to athletic performance or offered as an enrollment inducement
- ×Involvement by the school, its staff, or its boosters
The high school checklist.
- →Read the association's NIL provision and your school's policy
- →Keep the school and its marks out of every deal and every piece of content
- →Confirm your school's disclosure expectations
Agents and advisors
The association's rule does not bar NIL representation. North Dakota regulates athlete agents by statute. MSG works with North Dakota high school athletes on NIL and brand within the rule.
Penalties
Violations of the amateur status rules cost eligibility under association rules.
College NIL in North Dakota.
North Dakota has no college NIL law. Athletes at North Dakota, North Dakota State, and other schools operate under NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy.
Since July 2025, North Dakota schools that opted into the House settlement may pay athletes directly within the revenue-sharing cap, and third-party deals of $600 or more are reported through NIL Go.
Effective: NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy govern.
North Dakota law: key points
- ✓No state NIL statute; NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy control
- ✓Direct school payments permitted under the House settlement for opted-in schools
- ✓NIL Go reporting applies to third-party deals of $600 or more
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 Dakota athlete.
North Dakota is a small market, but Fargo and Bismarck businesses are engaged with local athletes, and the rule has been stable since 2022.
MSG keeps North Dakota deals unaffiliated with the school and structured around deliverables.
North Dakota NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in North Dakota do NIL deals?
Yes, on June 7, 2022, when the NDHSAA adopted an NIL policy on the same day as Minnesota, provided the activity is not connected to the school or the association and uses no school names, logos, or uniforms.
Can a North Dakota high school athlete wear a school uniform in a sponsored post?
No. School and association names, logos, and uniforms may not be used in NIL content.
Can a North Dakota high school athlete have an agent?
The association's rule does not restrict NIL representation. North Dakota regulates athlete agents by statute.
What is North Dakota's college NIL law?
There isn't one. North Dakota athletes operate under NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy.
Can North Dakota State pay athletes directly?
Yes, for schools that opted into the House settlement, since July 1, 2025, within the revenue-sharing cap.
- Minnesota and North Dakota associations pass NIL policies (Conduct Detrimental, July 2022)
- NIL laws by state, North Dakota (Athlete Agent Labs)
- NIL rules for high school athletes in each state, NDHSAA (USA Today HSS)
- 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 Dakota High School Activities Association, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.