- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions
- High school authority
- Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA)
- High school rule
- PIAA By-Laws, Article II (Amateur Status), NIL amendment
- High school effective
- December 7, 2022. Approved 25 to 4 by the PIAA Board of Directors, effective immediately. Three-strike penalty policy added September 2023.
- College NIL
- Permitted
- College law
- Pennsylvania SB 381 (2021), Article XX-K of the Public School Code, amended November 2022 and by Act 79 of 2024
- College effective
- Signed June 30, 2021, effective July 1, 2021, among the first wave of state laws. Amended November 2022 and in 2024.
- Paperwork
- Notify the school's principal or athletic director within 72 hours of entering an NIL agreement
- Penalty
- Three strikes, adopted September 2023: a temporary ban for a first violation, a one-year ban for a second, and permanent loss of PIAA eligibility for a third.
Where high school NIL stands in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania allowed high school NIL in December 2022, about a year after the state's college law. The PIAA amendment lets athletes earn from commercial endorsements, promotional activities, social media, product and service advertising, and unique digital items. The first deal was announced within hours of the vote.
The rule keeps a wall between the athlete and the school. No reference to the PIAA or a member school, including team names, nicknames, and logos; no school uniforms or identifying items in content; no endorsing during school or team activities; and no displaying a sponsor's mark during team activities. Anyone affiliated with a school or its athletic program, including boosters and coaches, may not pay athletes or arrange deals, and deals may not be used to recruit. The principal or athletic director must be notified within 72 hours of signing.
Effective: December 7, 2022. Approved 25 to 4 by the PIAA Board of Directors, effective immediately. Three-strike penalty policy added September 2023.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Commercial endorsements and promotional activities
- ✓Paid social media presence and product or service advertisements
- ✓Unique digital items and assets
- ✓Appearances, autographs, and merchandise in the athlete's own name
Not allowed
- ×Any reference to the PIAA or a member school: team name, nickname, common identifiers, or logos
- ×Wearing school uniforms or school-identifying items in NIL content
- ×Endorsing a third party during school or team activities, or displaying a sponsor's logo during them
- ×Payment or deal-making by anyone affiliated with a school, including boosters and coaches
- ×Deals used to entice an athlete to enroll at a school or join a team
- ×Prohibited categories: adult entertainment, alcohol, tobacco and vaping, prescription drugs and controlled substances, gambling including sports betting and lotteries, and weapons
The high school checklist.
- →Notify the school's principal or athletic director within 72 hours of entering an NIL agreement
- →Keep every deal independent of the school, its staff, and its boosters
- →Keep PIAA and school identifiers out of all content, and sponsor marks off the field
- →Check the prohibited-category list before accepting any brand
Agents and advisors
The PIAA rule does not bar NIL representation, and because schools are prohibited from arranging deals, families typically work with outside advisors. Pennsylvania regulates athlete agents under its Uniform Athlete Agents Act. MSG works with Pennsylvania high school athletes on NIL within those rules and handles the 72-hour notice.
Penalties
Three strikes, adopted September 2023: a temporary ban for a first violation, a one-year ban for a second, and permanent loss of PIAA eligibility for a third.
College NIL in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania's college NIL law was part of the 2021 state budget package and took effect June 30, 2021, a day ahead of the NCAA's interim policy. It lets athletes earn from their NIL, allows them to hire agents and attorneys, requires disclosure to the school, and bars deals in categories like adult entertainment, gambling, alcohol, tobacco and vaping, prescription drugs, and weapons.
In November 2022 the law was modified to remove restrictions on institutional involvement, giving Penn State, Pitt, and other schools more room to support athletes' deals. Since July 2025, Pennsylvania schools that opted into the House settlement may also pay athletes directly.
Effective: Signed June 30, 2021, effective July 1, 2021, among the first wave of state laws. Amended November 2022 and in 2024.
Pennsylvania law: key points
- ✓NIL compensation permitted since June 30, 2021; athletes may hire agents and attorneys
- ✓Deals must be disclosed to the school
- ✓Prohibited categories mirror the high school rule: adult entertainment, gambling, alcohol, tobacco and vaping, controlled substances, weapons
- ✓November 2022 amendment removed limits on schools supporting deals; Act 79 (2024) relaxed the prior one-week disclosure timeline, exempted executed deals from public records, and let institutional officials join NIL discussions
- ✓Direct school payments permitted under the House settlement for opted-in schools
- ✓Agents must register under Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania athlete.
Pennsylvania has been open long enough to be predictable, with Philadelphia and Pittsburgh as major markets and deep football, basketball, and baseball talent. The rules are clear and the enforcement ladder is public, which is the kind of environment where a well-run deal is low risk.
The 72-hour notice is short and easy to miss when a deal comes together fast. MSG files it the same day for every Pennsylvania athlete, and keeps sponsor marks off game day so the three-strike ladder never starts.
Pennsylvania NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in Pennsylvania do NIL deals?
Yes, since December 7, 2022. The PIAA allows commercial endorsements, promotional activities, social media, product advertising, and digital items, provided the deal makes no reference to the PIAA or school, uses no uniforms, and is not arranged by anyone affiliated with the school.
Do Pennsylvania high school athletes have to tell their school about NIL deals?
Yes. The principal or athletic director must be notified within 72 hours of entering the agreement.
What happens if a Pennsylvania high school athlete violates NIL rules?
The PIAA uses a three-strike policy adopted in September 2023: a temporary ban for a first violation, a one-year ban for a second, and permanent loss of eligibility for a third.
Can a Pennsylvania high school athlete wear a sponsor's logo during a game?
No. Displaying a logo, insignia, or identifying mark of an NIL partner during team or school activities is prohibited, as is endorsing a third party during those activities.
Can a Pennsylvania high school athlete have an agent?
The PIAA rule does not restrict NIL representation, and since schools cannot arrange deals, outside help is common. Pennsylvania requires athlete agents to register under its Uniform Athlete Agents Act.
What is Pennsylvania's college NIL law?
SB 381 of 2021, codified as Article XX-K of the Public School Code and effective July 1, 2021. It allows college athletes to earn from NIL and hire agents, requires disclosure to the school, and bars deals in adult entertainment, gambling, alcohol, tobacco, and controlled substances. Amendments in November 2022 and Act 79 of 2024 loosened institutional involvement and disclosure rules.
Can Penn 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.
- PIAA approves NIL policy (Cumberlink, December 2022)
- PIAA adopts three-strike NIL penalties (TribLive, September 2023)
- Pennsylvania extends NIL rights to high school athletes (Gross McGinley, December 2022)
- 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 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.