- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions
- High school authority
- Virginia High School League (VHSL); VISAA for independent schools
- High school rule
- VHSL NIL Policy (Handbook), with Virginia Code § 22.1-212.2:4 setting prohibited categories
- High school effective
- July 1, 2023. Approved by the VHSL executive committee 31 to 0 in January 2023 and by a two-thirds vote in May 2023.
- College NIL
- Permitted, including direct school payments
- College law
- Virginia Code § 23.1-408.1 (SB 223, 2022), amended by House Bill 1505 (2024) and House Bill 971 (2026)
- College effective
- SB 223 effective July 1, 2022. HB 1505 signed April 18, 2024, effective July 1, 2024. HB 971 effective 2026.
- Paperwork
- Disclose agreements to the athletic director as the VHSL policy directs
- Penalty
- VHSL amateur status and eligibility. Compensation tied to VHSL or school intellectual property, or in a category barred by state law, puts eligibility at risk.
Where high school NIL stands in Virginia.
Virginia allowed high school NIL on July 1, 2023, after the VHSL executive committee recommended a policy 31 to 0 and the membership approved it. Executive Director Billy Haun described it as guidance rather than permission: the policy tells athletes and families what is allowed rather than creating the right. Students may receive compensation for social media influencing, product endorsements, appearances, autographs, merchandise, and group licensing.
Virginia is also one of the few states with a statute aimed directly at high school athletes. Virginia Code § 22.1-212.2:4 bars compensation connected to categories including alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products, weapons and ammunition, casinos and gambling, and adult entertainment. The VHSL policy adds its own limits: no VHSL or school intellectual property, no uniforms, no collectives, no deals used to recruit, and disclosure to the athletic director. The VHSL offers a digital NIL course for families.
Effective: July 1, 2023. Approved by the VHSL executive committee 31 to 0 in January 2023 and by a two-thirds vote in May 2023.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Social media influencing and paid content
- ✓Product endorsements and personal appearances
- ✓Autograph signings, merchandise and apparel sales, and group licensing
- ✓Camps and lessons in the athlete's own name
Not allowed
- ×Compensation, endorsements, or gifts tied to VHSL or school intellectual property, including names, logos, and mascots
- ×Wearing the school uniform in NIL activity
- ×NIL collectives
- ×Deals used by schools or teams to incentivize enrollment or team membership
- ×Categories barred by state law: alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products, weapons and ammunition, casinos and gambling, adult entertainment, and prescription drugs
The high school checklist.
- →Disclose agreements to the athletic director as the VHSL policy directs
- →Complete the VHSL NIL Policy digital course; it covers the state statute and the policy together
- →Keep school and VHSL identifiers out of all content
- →Check the state category list before accepting any brand; it is law, not only policy
Agents and advisors
The VHSL policy does not bar representation for NIL. Virginia regulates athlete agents by statute. MSG works with Virginia high school athletes on NIL and brand within the policy and the state category law, and handles athletic director disclosure.
Penalties
VHSL amateur status and eligibility. Compensation tied to VHSL or school intellectual property, or in a category barred by state law, puts eligibility at risk.
College NIL in Virginia.
Virginia's first college NIL law, effective July 1, 2022, was restrictive: it barred schools from compensating athletes or facilitating deals and required financial literacy workshops. House Bill 1505 reversed course in 2024. Signed April 18 and effective July 1, 2024, it allowed Virginia colleges to pay athletes directly for NIL, provided student fees are not used, a year before the House settlement made that possible nationally.
HB 1505 also makes it unlawful for the NCAA or a conference to take adverse action against a Virginia school, its foundations, or entities acting for it over NIL activity the statute permits, requires institutions to adopt NIL policies, and lets schools incentivize outside entities to support athletes' NIL. Virginia's attorney general also joined Tennessee's lawsuit that ended the NCAA's NIL recruiting ban.
Effective: SB 223 effective July 1, 2022. HB 1505 signed April 18, 2024, effective July 1, 2024. HB 971 effective 2026.
Virginia law: key points
- ✓Colleges may compensate athletes directly for NIL since July 1, 2024, without using student fees
- ✓The NCAA and conferences may not penalize Virginia schools for permitted NIL activity
- ✓Institutions must adopt and approve NIL policies
- ✓Schools may incentivize entities to support athletes' NIL opportunities
- ✓Athlete biometric data may not be disclosed without consent or made a condition of an NIL contract (HB 971, 2026)
- ✓Direct school payments also permitted under the House settlement for opted-in schools
- ✓Agents must comply with Virginia'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 Virginia athlete.
Northern Virginia sits in the Washington media market and the Richmond and Tidewater areas have strong football and baseball, so Virginia athletes have real local opportunity. The state has also made itself one of the most aggressive college NIL environments in the country, which raises the value of a brand built early.
MSG treats Virginia's category statute as the first check on every deal and keeps school marks and collectives out of the picture. The VHSL policy is workable once those two lines are respected.
Virginia NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in Virginia do NIL deals?
Yes, since July 1, 2023, under the VHSL NIL Policy. Athletes may be paid for social media, endorsements, appearances, autographs, merchandise, and group licensing, provided no VHSL or school intellectual property or uniforms are used, no collective is involved, and the deal is not in a category barred by Virginia Code 22.1-212.2:4.
Does Virginia have a state law on high school NIL?
Yes. Virginia Code 22.1-212.2:4 bars high school athletes from NIL compensation connected to categories including alcohol, tobacco and nicotine, weapons and ammunition, casinos and gambling, and adult entertainment. The VHSL policy adds its own rules on top.
Can a Virginia high school athlete wear a school uniform in a sponsored post?
No. The VHSL policy bars compensation tied to VHSL or school intellectual property, which includes uniforms, names, logos, and mascots.
Are NIL collectives allowed for Virginia high school athletes?
No. The VHSL policy prohibits high school athletes from engaging in NIL collectives.
Can a Virginia high school athlete have an agent?
The VHSL policy does not restrict NIL representation. Virginia regulates athlete agents by statute.
What is Virginia's college NIL law?
Virginia Code 23.1-408.1, enacted by SB 223 in 2022 and amended by HB 1505 in 2024. Since July 1, 2024, Virginia colleges may pay athletes directly for NIL without using student fees, must adopt NIL policies, and are protected from NCAA penalties for permitted NIL activity.
Can Virginia and Virginia Tech pay athletes directly?
Yes. HB 1505 allowed direct institutional NIL payments from July 1, 2024, and the House settlement added revenue sharing for opted-in schools from July 1, 2025.
- Virginia High School League clears the way for NIL (WUSA9, May 2023)
- Name, Image, and Likeness (Virginia Department of Education)
- Virginia law allows schools to pay athletes for NIL (ESPN, April 2024)
- Virginia NIL law brings more change (Lexology, April 2024)
- Virginia state NIL law summary (Eccker Sports Group)
- 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 Virginia High School League, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.