- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions
- High school authority
- Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA)
- High school rule
- UHSAA Bylaws, Section 6 (Amateur Status), NIL interpretation
- High school effective
- January 2022, adopted as an interpretation of the existing bylaws.
- College NIL
- Permitted, with state protection from NCAA investigations
- College law
- Utah House Bill 202 (2024) and 2025 amendments (HB 479 Student Athlete Revisions; HB 449 per other summaries)
- College effective
- HB 202 signed March 12, 2024, effective May 1, 2024. 2025 amendments enacted in the 2025 session.
- Paperwork
- Confirm your school district's disclosure expectations
- Penalty
- Violations of the amateur status bylaws cost eligibility under UHSAA rules.
Where high school NIL stands in Utah.
Utah allowed high school NIL in January 2022 when the UHSAA adopted an interpretation of its amateur bylaws permitting athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness. It was among the first wave of states to do so.
The condition is separation from the school. Athletes may not use identifiable school team insignia or the team name in any NIL activity, may not use school uniforms, logos, or facilities in content, and may not coordinate with coaches or school employees on deals. A commercial cannot imply school endorsement: an athlete can be a spokesperson for a car dealership, but not in the school jersey or on the school field.
Effective: January 2022, adopted as an interpretation of the existing bylaws.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Endorsements, sponsorships, and paid content in the athlete's individual capacity
- ✓Appearances, autographs, camps, and merchandise in the athlete's own name
Not allowed
- ×School team insignia or team name in any NIL activity
- ×School uniforms, logos, or facilities in NIL content
- ×Coordination with coaches or school employees on deals
- ×Content that implies school endorsement
- ×Payment for athletic performance or participation
The high school checklist.
- →Keep every deal and every piece of content free of team insignia, team name, uniforms, and school facilities
- →Keep coaches and school staff out of the deal
- →Confirm your school district's disclosure expectations
Agents and advisors
The UHSAA interpretation does not bar NIL representation. Utah regulates athlete agents by statute. MSG works with Utah high school athletes on NIL and brand within Section 6.
Penalties
Violations of the amateur status bylaws cost eligibility under UHSAA rules.
College NIL in Utah.
Utah waited to legislate. HB 202, effective May 1, 2024, set the state's college NIL rules: athletes must disclose NIL agreements exceeding $600 to their institution for policy review, institutions must acknowledge in writing whether a deal conflicts with school policy, NIL agreements are exempt from public records law, and state funds may not be used for NIL.
The 2025 amendments authorized Utah athletes to receive direct NIL compensation from their institutions without losing eligibility, barred the use of tuition and state funds for those payments, and, according to some summaries, added a shield against NCAA investigations for permitted activity. Athletes must get written permission and pay a market-rate fee to use institutional logos, uniforms, or facilities. Since July 2025, Utah, Utah State, BYU, and other opted-in schools may pay athletes directly under the House settlement.
Effective: HB 202 signed March 12, 2024, effective May 1, 2024. 2025 amendments enacted in the 2025 session.
Utah law: key points
- ✓NIL agreements over $600 must be disclosed to the institution for review (HB 202)
- ✓Institutions must confirm in writing whether a deal conflicts with policy
- ✓NIL agreements exempt from Utah public records law
- ✓State funds may not be used for NIL
- ✓Direct institutional NIL compensation authorized by the 2025 amendments, with no tuition or state funds
- ✓Written permission and a market-rate fee required to use institutional logos, uniforms, or facilities
- ✓Direct school payments permitted under the House settlement for opted-in schools
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 Utah athlete.
Utah has been open since early 2022 and Salt Lake City is a growing market with strong football, basketball, and baseball. The college programs in the state have become aggressive NIL operators, which raises the value of a brand built early.
The UHSAA rule is a separation rule. MSG keeps Utah deals off campus, out of uniform, and away from coaches.
Utah NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in Utah do NIL deals?
Yes, since January 2022. The UHSAA interprets its amateur bylaws to allow NIL, provided athletes do not use school team insignia, team name, uniforms, logos, or facilities, and do not coordinate with coaches or school employees.
Can a Utah high school athlete wear a school jersey in a commercial?
No. Athletes may not use identifiable team insignia, the team name, or school uniforms in NIL activity, and content may not imply school endorsement.
Can my coach help me with an NIL deal in Utah?
No. UHSAA rules bar coordination with coaches or school employees on NIL deals.
Can a Utah high school athlete have an agent?
The UHSAA interpretation does not restrict NIL representation. Utah regulates athlete agents by statute.
What is Utah's college NIL law?
House Bill 202, effective May 1, 2024, requires disclosure of NIL agreements over $600 for institutional review, exempts agreements from public records law, and bars use of state funds. House Bill 449 (2025) protects schools and athletes from NCAA investigations for permitted activity.
Do Utah college athletes have to report NIL deals?
Yes. Under HB 202, agreements exceeding $600 must be disclosed to the institution, which must acknowledge in writing whether the deal conflicts with policy. NIL Go reporting also applies.
Can Utah and BYU pay athletes directly?
Yes, for schools that opted into the House settlement, since July 1, 2025, within the revenue-sharing cap.
- Utah state NIL summary (Eccker Sports Group)
- Utah NIL laws for college and high school (RallyFuel, January 2026)
- Utah NIL bill receives final legislative approval (Optimum Sports Consulting)
- NIL rules for high school athletes in each state (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 Utah High School Activities Association, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.