- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions
- High school authority
- West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC)
- High school rule
- WVSSAC NIL policy, approved by the West Virginia Board of Education
- High school effective
- August 8, 2025. Approved by the State Board of Education in July 2025. Applies to middle school and high school athletes.
- College NIL
- Permitted, including direct school payments
- College law
- West Virginia NIL Protection Act (HB 2576, 2025)
- College effective
- Signed by Governor Morrisey in September 2025.
- Paperwork
- Confirm your school's disclosure expectations
- Penalty
- Loss of amateur status, with reinstatement possible after sitting out a full high school season in that sport.
Where high school NIL stands in West Virginia.
West Virginia allowed high school NIL on August 8, 2025, after the State Board of Education approved a WVSSAC policy in July. The policy is broad in one respect: it covers middle school as well as high school athletes, grades 6 through 12. Executive Director Wayne Ryan described it as a basic policy that will be refined as situations arise.
The conditions match the common model. No school or anyone employed by a member school, including coaches and administrators, may be involved; booster clubs, alumni, and collectives may not use NIL to entice transfers; athletes may not reference the WVSSAC or appear in a school uniform; and deals in categories including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and controlled substances are banned. An athlete who loses amateur status may apply for reinstatement after sitting out a full season in that sport.
Effective: August 8, 2025. Approved by the State Board of Education in July 2025. Applies to middle school and high school athletes.
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
- ✓NIL for middle school athletes in grades 6 through 8 under the same rules
Not allowed
- ×Involvement by the school or anyone employed by a member school, including coaches and administrators
- ×Boosters, alumni, or collectives using NIL to entice a transfer or enrollment
- ×Any reference to the WVSSAC, or appearing in a school uniform, in NIL content
- ×Prohibited categories including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other controlled substances
The high school checklist.
- →Read the WVSSAC policy in the current Rules and Regulations Handbook; it is new and being refined
- →Keep the school, its staff, and its boosters out of every deal
- →Keep WVSSAC references and school uniforms out of all content
- →Confirm your school's disclosure expectations
Agents and advisors
The WVSSAC policy does not bar NIL representation. West Virginia regulates athlete agents by statute. MSG works with West Virginia high school athletes on NIL and brand within the policy.
Penalties
Loss of amateur status, with reinstatement possible after sitting out a full high school season in that sport.
College NIL in West Virginia.
West Virginia enacted its college NIL law in September 2025, making it one of the most recent states to do so. The NIL Protection Act allows athletes to receive NIL compensation from schools or third parties, authorizes colleges and universities to share revenue directly with athletes, and bars athletic associations from penalizing athletes for permitted NIL activity.
Prohibited categories are alcohol, gambling, cannabis, and adult content. Legislative appropriations may not be used to pay NIL compensation, and athletes may retain legal or professional representation. The law covers WVU, Marshall, and other West Virginia institutions.
Effective: Signed by Governor Morrisey in September 2025.
West Virginia law: key points
- ✓Athletes may receive NIL compensation from schools or third parties; direct school payment authorized
- ✓Colleges may engage in revenue sharing with athletes
- ✓Athletic associations may not penalize athletes for permitted NIL activity
- ✓Prohibited categories: alcohol, gambling, cannabis, and adult content
- ✓Legislative appropriations may not fund NIL compensation
- ✓Athletes may retain legal or professional representation
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 West Virginia athlete.
West Virginia opened in August 2025 and the market is uncrowded. Charleston, Huntington, and Morgantown have engaged local businesses, and the state's college programs moved to a full revenue-sharing law the following month.
The policy is first-year and the WVSSAC has said it will be refined. MSG keeps West Virginia deals unaffiliated with the school and checks the current handbook before every agreement.
West Virginia NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in West Virginia do NIL deals?
Yes, since August 8, 2025, under a WVSSAC policy approved by the State Board of Education. The policy covers grades 6 through 12, bars school and booster involvement, prohibits WVSSAC references and school uniforms in content, and bans deals in categories such as alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis.
Can middle school athletes in West Virginia do NIL deals?
Yes. The WVSSAC policy applies to middle school as well as high school athletes, which is unusual nationally.
Can my coach help me with an NIL deal in West Virginia?
No. No school or anyone employed by a member school, including coaches and administrators, may be involved in a student-athlete's NIL.
What is West Virginia's college NIL law?
The NIL Protection Act (HB 2576), signed in September 2025. It allows NIL compensation from schools or third parties, authorizes direct revenue sharing, bars association penalties, and prohibits alcohol, gambling, cannabis, and adult-content deals.
Can WVU and Marshall pay athletes directly?
Yes. The NIL Protection Act authorizes direct school payments and revenue sharing, and the House settlement allows it for opted-in schools since July 1, 2025.
- West Virginia now has an NIL policy for high school athletes (West Virginia Watch, August 2025)
- Ryan outlines what is and is not permissible under the WVSSAC NIL policy (WV MetroNews, August 2025)
- West Virginia approves NIL policy for high school and middle school athletes (WTRF, August 2025)
- NIL laws by state, West Virginia HB 2576 (Athlete Agent Labs)
- 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 West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.