High school is where the agent question arrives first and where the rules are least known, by athletes, by parents and often by the people doing the recruiting. Four sets of rules apply at once: the federal statute, the state athlete-agent act, the NCAA's bylaws for the athlete's future, and the state high school association's rules for the present. This page takes them in that order, then the practical part for a family.
The federal statute reaches high school
SPARTA, the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act of 2004, defines a "student athlete" as anyone who engages in, is eligible for, "or may be eligible in the future" for an intercollegiate sport. A high school athlete who might play in college is inside it. So an agent dealing with one may not recruit with false or misleading promises, may not give anything of value before the contract is signed, and must have the athlete, or for an athlete under 18 the parent or guardian, sign a disclosure with the bold warning about eligibility and the 72-hour notice to the athletic director. The FTC's January 2026 consumer alert is addressed to "parents and student athletes" for this reason. The SPARTA page has the statute section by section.
The state acts reach high school
The Revised Uniform Athlete Agents Act's definition of "student athlete" includes athletes in interscholastic sports; most states' versions of the 2000 Act are read the same way. That means a person who, for compensation, recruits a high school athlete into an agency contract, negotiates pro employment for them, or manages their business affairs is an athlete agent and must:
- be registered in the state before acting (an unregistered agent's contract is void and the money comes back);
- use a written contract that states the fee and how it is calculated, carries the warning in capitals, and gives a 14-day right to cancel (16 in Texas; New York gives 5, Ohio 10, California 15) that cannot be waived;
- have a parent or guardian sign for an athlete under 18 (Revised Act § 10(g));
- notify the athletic director within 72 hours of signing.
Who is not an agent: a parent, sibling, grandparent or guardian helping for free (excluded by name under SPARTA and the 2000 Act; outside the Revised Act when unpaid), and a lawyer giving ordinary legal services. The registration page sets out each state's version and the penalties.
The NCAA: the future eligibility question
This is the rule that changed. Until 2026, a prospect who agreed to be represented by a pro agent risked college eligibility. Bylaw 12.3.1, adopted April 15, 2026 and applying to athletes who first enroll full time on or after August 1, 2026, says a prospect "may be represented by an agent for the purposes of marketing ... to secure an opportunity as a professional athlete." NIL agents have been allowed at every stage since Bylaw 22.3.1 took effect in January 2024. Two things still bite once the athlete enrolls: no benefits from an agent (12.3.2.3), and in men's basketball, anyone soliciting an enrolled player must hold NCAA certification. Prospects also report NIL deals of $600 or more from the first day of their junior year of high school, with a 14-day window after enrolling (22.2.2.5). The eligibility page has the full set.
The state associations: the present
Each state's high school association decides whether NIL is allowed at all, what must be disclosed and when, and what is banned. Most allow it; published counts run from 39 to 46 states plus D.C. as of October 2026, and the lists disagree, which is why the state pages are built only from each association's own text. Examples from those texts: Pennsylvania's PIAA gives 72 hours to tell the principal or athletic director; Ohio's OHSAA allows NIL since November 2025 with disclosure to the association within 14 days and collectives prohibited; Georgia's GHSA gives 7 days and bars collectives and NIL clubs; Florida's FHSAA wants an affidavit within 5 business days; North Carolina's public schools want the proposed deal 10 business days before signing. Nearly every state bars school, team and association names and logos from the ad. Texas's UIL limits deals to athletes 17 and older signing with a college, and Texas's NIL statute bars NIL arrangements with prospects under 17 who are not enrolled in college. None of these rules requires an agent; none found forbids one.
Minors and signatures
A contract signed by a minor is generally voidable by the minor, which is why a business asks a parent or guardian to sign an NIL deal. California goes further: its Family Code lets a court approve a minor's contract for services as a player in a sport or for a licence of their likeness, after which it cannot be disaffirmed, and the employer deposits 15% of gross earnings in a trust the minor receives at 18. Under the Revised Act and SPARTA the parent or guardian signs the agency contract and the disclosure. In every arrangement, the adult who signs is the one who needs the contract explained.
What the market looks like
ESPN's NIL Research Poll (December 2025, 1,000 college athletes) found 18% had help with NIL deals in high school; about 67% of those gave the helper a percentage, and the median cut was about 20%. ESPN's February 2026 report quoted agents seeking 15 to 30% under lifetime marketing agreements and the head of the Texas High School Coaches Association calling the situation "almost at a crisis." The federal bill that passed the Senate on September 28, 2026 would cap a college athlete's endorsement agent fee at 5%; it does not reach high school deals, and as of October 13, 2026 it is held at the House desk.
What a family does with this
The information above sorts into four questions a family can answer from the texts linked below: is NIL allowed in our state and what must be disclosed (the association's rule); is the person offering to help registered in our state and using the required contract (the state act); what does signing mean for college (the NCAA bylaws, now permissive for prospects enrolling from 2026); and what does the deal itself say (the contracts page). A parent who does this work for free is not an agent under any of the laws above. The parent page covers where that changes.
How Leave fits
Leave is software for athletes from 13 up. An athlete 13 to 17 uses it through an account a parent or guardian creates, so the adult who signs holds the contract explanation, the rules summary for the state and level, and the disclosure deadline on a countdown. Leave takes 0% of any deal, does not recruit, negotiate, represent or sign for anyone, and is not legal advice. The family decides; the family sends.
Questions athletes ask
Do the athlete-agent laws apply to high school athletes?
Yes. SPARTA's definition of a student athlete includes anyone who may be eligible in the future for an intercollegiate sport, and the Revised Uniform Athlete Agents Act's definition includes athletes in interscholastic sports. An agent who recruits or signs a high school athlete must follow them, registration included.
Will signing with an agent in high school cost me NCAA eligibility?
Not under the 2026-27 rules for athletes enrolling from August 1, 2026. NCAA Bylaw 12.3.1, adopted April 15, 2026, lets a prospect be represented by an agent to secure a professional opportunity. An NIL agent has been allowed at every stage since January 2024. Taking benefits from an agent is still barred for enrolled athletes, and the men's basketball certification rule applies once enrolled.
Can a high school athlete sign an NIL deal without an agent?
Yes, where the state association allows NIL at all. No state rule found requires an agent; the rules set who must be told of a deal and when, and which categories and school marks are off limits. Most states allow high school NIL; published counts run from 39 to 46 as of October 2026, and the state pages carry each association's own text.
What does a parent sign?
A minor's contract is generally voidable by the minor, so a business asks a parent or guardian to sign the deal. Under the Revised Act a parent or guardian must sign any agency contract for an athlete under 18, and under SPARTA the parent or guardian receives and signs the agent's disclosure. In Leave, athletes 13 to 17 use the app through an account a parent or guardian creates.
Is there an age limit?
Texas bars NIL arrangements with prospects younger than 17 who are not enrolled in college, and its high school association limits deals to athletes 17 and older signing with a college. Other states set no age in the agent laws; the high school association rules and the parent's signature do the work.
How much do high school agents take?
There is no cap. ESPN's poll of 1,000 college athletes found 18% had help with NIL deals in high school, about two thirds of those paid a percentage, and the median cut was about 20%; agents quoted in the same report sought 15 to 30% under lifetime marketing agreements. The head of the Texas High School Coaches Association called the situation "almost at a crisis."
Be your own agent. Leave.