- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions
- High school authority
- Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA)
- High school rule
- WIAA Handbook, Amateur Standing Rules (Rule 18.25)
- High school effective
- 2022-23 school year, following editorial changes approved by the WIAA Executive Board on June 5, 2022.
- College NIL
- Permitted, with no comprehensive state NIL statute
- College law
- No comprehensive NIL statute. Senate Bill 5913 (2024) permits public-university employees to assist athletes with NIL
- College effective
- SB 5913 passed March 13, 2024, effective June 6, 2024.
- Paperwork
- Read WIAA Rule 18.25 and your district's NIL guidance; Tacoma and other districts publish plain-language versions
- Penalty
- Compensation connected to the school, team, or WIAA forfeits amateur status. Districts warn that violations can affect high school and college eligibility.
Where high school NIL stands in Washington.
Washington allowed high school NIL quietly. In June 2022 the WIAA Executive Board made what it called editorial changes to the Amateur Standing rule, and the 2022-23 handbook stated that WIAA rules do not prohibit student-athletes from engaging in commercial activities in their individual capacities. National observers only noticed months later; until then most sources listed Washington as prohibiting it.
The conditions follow the common model. Athletes may not use school uniforms, logos, mascots, or team names in content, may not use school facilities, and may not accept facilitation from coaches or staff. Compensation connected to the school team, school, or WIAA forfeits amateur status. School districts, including Tacoma Public Schools, publish their own family guidance built on the WIAA rules.
Effective: 2022-23 school year, following editorial changes approved by the WIAA Executive Board on June 5, 2022.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Endorsements, sponsorships, and paid promotional appearances as an individual
- ✓Paid social media content and merchandise
- ✓Camps, lessons, and autographs in the athlete's own name
Not allowed
- ×School uniforms, logos, mascots, or team names in NIL content
- ×Use of school facilities for NIL content
- ×Facilitation by coaches or school staff
- ×Money, compensation, endorsements, or gifts in connection with the school team, school, or WIAA
- ×Deals that conflict with the WIAA Amateur Standing Rules
The high school checklist.
- →Read WIAA Rule 18.25 and your district's NIL guidance; Tacoma and other districts publish plain-language versions
- →Keep every deal and every piece of content free of school identifiers and off school property
- →Keep coaches and staff out of the deal
- →Check the deal against college rules too; the WIAA rule protects high school status only
Agents and advisors
The WIAA rule does not bar NIL representation. Washington regulates athlete agents by statute. MSG works with Washington high school athletes on NIL and brand within the Amateur Standing Rules.
Penalties
Compensation connected to the school, team, or WIAA forfeits amateur status. Districts warn that violations can affect high school and college eligibility.
College NIL in Washington.
Washington never passed a sweeping college NIL law; an early proposal died in committee in 2022. Athletes at Washington, Washington State, and other schools operate under the NCAA framework, the House settlement, and school policy.
What the state did address was ethics law. Senate Bill 5913, effective June 6, 2024, cleared state ethics restrictions that had barred public-university staff from using public resources to help athletes with NIL. Coaches and compliance officers may now make introductions, advise on specific deals, and use university resources to support athlete branding. Since July 2025, Washington schools that opted into the House settlement may pay athletes directly.
Effective: SB 5913 passed March 13, 2024, effective June 6, 2024.
Washington law: key points
- ✓No comprehensive state NIL statute; NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy control
- ✓Public-university employees may use public resources to assist athletes with NIL since June 6, 2024 (SB 5913)
- ✓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 comply with Washington'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 Washington athlete.
Seattle is a top-fifteen media market with strong baseball, basketball, and football, and Washington has been open since 2022. Because the change was so quiet, many local businesses still assume high school NIL is not allowed here, which is an opening for the athletes who know better.
The WIAA rule is a separation rule. MSG keeps Washington deals off campus, out of uniform, and away from coaches, and checks each one against college rules as well.
Washington NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in Washington do NIL deals?
Yes, since the 2022-23 school year. The WIAA handbook states its rules do not prohibit student-athletes from engaging in commercial activities in their individual capacities, provided they comply with the Amateur Standing Rules: no school uniforms, logos, or facilities, no coach or staff facilitation, and no compensation connected to the school or WIAA.
Was high school NIL ever banned in Washington?
It was widely listed as prohibited until the WIAA's June 2022 editorial changes to the Amateur Standing rule and the 2022-23 handbook clarified that NIL is allowed in an individual capacity.
Can a Washington high school athlete film a sponsored post at school?
No. WIAA rules bar using school facilities, uniforms, logos, mascots, or team names in NIL content.
Can my coach help me get an NIL deal in Washington?
No. Coaches and school staff may not facilitate deals, and compensation connected to the school team, school, or WIAA forfeits amateur status.
Can a Washington high school athlete have an agent?
The WIAA rule does not restrict NIL representation. Washington regulates athlete agents by statute.
What is Washington's college NIL law?
There is no comprehensive statute. College NIL runs on NCAA rules, the House settlement, and school policy. Senate Bill 5913, effective June 6, 2024, allows public-university employees to use public resources to help athletes with NIL.
Can Washington and Washington 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.
- Washington high school athletes can profit from NIL (On3, March 2023)
- WIAA NIL guidance for high school athletes (Tacoma Public Schools)
- Washington state NIL law summary (Eccker Sports Group)
- Washington State University NIL guide, SB 5913 (RallyFuel, May 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 Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.