The law
Louisiana's college NIL law is La. R.S. 17:3701 to 17:3705 (Title 17, Chapter 30) (status: in force). Everything on this page is taken from the enacted text on the legislature's own site, linked under Sources, read on October 21, 2026.
What it says
| Question | What the statute says | Section or source |
|---|---|---|
| Who is covered | An "intercollegiate athlete" is a student enrolled in a postsecondary education institution who participates in an athletic program. Since 2026-08-01 a covered school is "a Louisiana public or nonpublic postsecondary education institution that receives or disburses any form of state student financial assistance, including scholarships and grants". Since 2026-08-01 the chapter also covers high school ("interscholastic") athletes in R.S. 17:3705 | 3702(4), (8); 3705 |
| Disclosure to the school | An athlete who enters into an NIL contract worth $600 or more discloses it to the school in the manner the school designates. Since 2026-08-01 the school prescribes the reporting requirements "in alignment with the rules and guidance of the applicable athletic governing commission". No number of days is set. Since 2026-06-09 an athlete agent on an NIL endorsement contract must ensure the athlete discloses it to the school | 3703(I)(1), (2); R.S. 4:423.1(F)(1) |
| Banned categories | An athlete "shall not earn compensation" for endorsing tobacco, alcohol, illegal substances or activities, banned athletic substances, or any form of gambling or gaming, including sports wagering. This is a state ban, not a school option. A school may also bar a use that conflicts with its existing sponsorship agreements or contracts, or with "institutional values as defined by" the school. Separately, public colleges may not partner with licensed gaming entities to promote sports wagering | 3703(C)(1), (2); 3704(A) |
| Conflicts with team contracts | An athlete may not sign an NIL contract with a term that conflicts with the athletic program's team contract without the athletic department's written approval; a school asserting a conflict discloses each conflicting term to the athlete or the athlete's representative. Use of school facilities, uniforms, trademarks, logos or colors needs the school's express permission, and the school may require the sponsor to follow its licensing protocols | 3703(H)(1), (2); 3703(C)(3) |
| School and coach involvement | Notwithstanding any other law, a school or its officer, director, employee or agent "may participate in name, image, and likeness endeavors directly and in support of intercollegiate athletes" as Subsection (A)(1) allows. Since 2026-08-01 each management board's policies, and each school's own NIL policies, must cover compensation and disclosure, institutional involvement, use of marks and facilities, representation, workshops, enforcement and a named compliance contact, and may not unduly restrict NIL earning. Coaches are named only in the liability shield | 3703(A)(2); 3703(N)(1) to (3); 3703(L) |
| Direct pay from the school | To the extent the rules of athletics governing associations prohibit it, a school or its officer, director, employee or agent may not pay a current or prospective athlete for NIL unless authorized by (a) a court order nullifying or declaring unlawful current restrictions on player compensation, (b) the governing organization's bylaws or regulations, or (c) a settlement agreement or consent decree with the same effect as a bylaw change. Since 2026-08-01 the statute refers to a school's "intercollegiate athletics revenue sharing program" and makes its yearly total public | 3703(A)(1)(a) to (c); 3703(M)(2) |
| Agents and attorneys | A school may not prevent or unduly restrict representation by an athlete agent, marketing representative or attorney engaged to secure NIL pay; since 2026-08-01 that person must be registered or licensed "in accordance with R.S. 4:422". Since 2026-06-09 anyone paid, or expecting pay, to represent or advise an athlete on an endorsement contract or endorsement activities, including NIL, is an "athlete agent" who registers with the public protection division of the Department of Justice (two years, training, background check) and signs a written endorsement representation disclosure with the athlete. No percentage cap; an unreasonable fee is barred. A representation or NIL contract may not run past the athlete's participation in the athletic program | 3703(D), (J); R.S. 4:421(A)(4), 4:422(A), (E), (H), (I), 4:423.1(B), 4:424(A)(10) |
| High school and minors | An NIL contract for a college athlete under 18 is executed on the athlete's behalf by a parent or legal guardian. Since 2026-08-01 high school athletes may earn NIL pay under R.S. 17:3705: written parental consent under 18, nine barred categories (adult entertainment, alcohol, cannabis other than hemp, gambling, controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, performance-enhancing drugs, tobacco and nicotine, weapons), disclosure of a proposed agreement to the high school before signing, and no loss of eligibility for NIL pay or representation | 3703(F); 3705(B), (C), (E), (G) |
| Financial literacy | Each school provides annual financial literacy and life skills training of at least two and one-half hours, covering financial aid, debt management, a recommended budget for full and partial grant-in-aid athletes based on cost of attendance, time management and academic resources, with no marketing or solicitation by financial product providers. The school may add resources on financial responsibility, business formation and marketing | 3703(K)(1), (2)(a) to (c) |
| Scholarship protection | Earning NIL pay "shall not affect" the athlete's grant-in-aid or athletic eligibility. A grant-in-aid, including cost of attendance, is not compensation under the chapter and may not be revoked or reduced because the athlete earns NIL pay or obtains representation | 3703(B), (E) |
| Confidentiality of contracts | Any document an athlete discloses to the school that references the terms of the athlete's NIL contract is confidential and not subject to the Public Records Law (an exception listed in R.S. 44:4.1(B)(9)). Since 2026-08-01 a school's total yearly revenue-sharing spending is public, but the amount or percentage paid to any specific athlete or allocated to any sport, and documents from negotiating revenue-sharing agreements with athletes, including the agreements themselves, are not; Act 818 applies to records and requests existing or pending on or after its effective date | 3703(M)(1) to (3); R.S. 44:4.1(B)(9) |
| NCAA and conference penalties | Not addressed for college athletes and schools: the chapter does not bar the NCAA or a conference from penalizing a Louisiana school or athlete. For high schools, since 2026-08-01, the governing association may not declare an athlete ineligible, or bar a school from membership, because an athlete earns NIL pay or has representation | 3705(C), (D) |
| Remedies and enforcement | The college sections create no private right of action. School officers, employees, coaches and recognized nonprofits are not liable for damage to NIL earning from routine athletics decisions, or for a third party's NIL agreement, except for gross negligence or willful misconduct. Against agents, an athlete may sue for actual damages, costs and attorney fees, with forfeiture of the agent's pay; a violation is also an unfair trade practice; administrative fines reach $100,000. A high school athlete may seek an injunction | 3703(L); 3705(J); R.S. 4:426(B), 4:432.1, 4:434 |
| Employee status | Not addressed for college athletes. For high school athletes, NIL activity does not alter employment status or make the athlete an employee of the school | 3705(I) |
How Louisiana's law changed
- 2021. Act 479 (SB 60) created Chapter 30 effective 2021-07-01. Athletes could earn NIL pay "commensurate with the market value" of the use; a school, its supporting entities and its staff could not pay athletes for NIL; boosters could not create NIL opportunities as a recruiting inducement; every NIL contract was disclosed to the school; and schools ran financial literacy workshops in the first and third years.
- 2022. Act 307 (SB 250), effective 2022-06-10, dropped the bars on pay from school-supporting entities and on booster-arranged opportunities, added "gaming" to the banned categories, shielded school staff from liability for routine athletics decisions, and made contract documents disclosed to the school confidential under the Public Records Law.
- 2024. Act 358 (SB 465), effective 2024-05-28, rewrote 3703(A): a school and its staff may pay for NIL and take part "directly" when a court order, the governing association's bylaws or a settlement allows it. It dropped the market-value rule, added marketing representatives, set the disclosure threshold at $600, made the financial literacy training annual at two and one-half hours, and widened the liability shield to recognized nonprofits and third-party agreements.
- 2026. Act 895 (effective 2026-06-09) brought NIL representatives under the athlete agent law. Acts 810 and 818 (both effective 2026-08-01) added high school NIL (R.S. 17:3705), school reporting rules and required NIL policies, and confidentiality for revenue-sharing amounts by athlete and sport. Act 883 (effective 2026-08-01), signed the same day as Act 895, set a different agent registration fee; the legislature's site prints both versions.
Agents in Louisiana
Louisiana's athlete agent law is its own act, Chapter 7 of Title 4 (R.S. 4:420 to 4:435), first enacted in 1987, not the Uniform Athlete Agents Act. Since Act 895 took effect on 2026-06-09:
- Who is an agent. An individual who, for compensation or in anticipation of it, enters into or solicits an agent contract, or "represents or advises an athlete in connection with an endorsement contract, or endorsement activities, including name, image, and likeness matters" (R.S. 4:421(A)(4)). "Athlete" covers students on teams of Louisiana colleges and of secondary schools, including high schools and junior high schools (4:421(A)(3), (9), (18)).
- Registrar. The public protection division of the Department of Justice (4:421(A)(8), 4:422(A)(1)). The Attorney General's office points agents to nil.ag.louisiana.gov. Registration needs AG-prescribed training and a background check paid by the applicant (4:422(H), (I)), and lasts two years (4:422(E)). Agents working on or before 2026-06-09 had to register by 2026-08-01 or stop all agent activity until registered (4:435).
- Fee. The legislature's site shows two versions of 4:422 after 2026: "an annual registration fee of one hundred dollars" under Act 895, and $1,000 for an initial or renewal registration ($500 when based on another state's certificate) under Act 883, effective 2026-08-01. Both acts were signed on 2026-06-09, and no later act reconciles them.
- Contract terms. For NIL work the agent and athlete sign a written endorsement representation disclosure, before or when representation starts, stating the agent's registration, the fee and how it is calculated, any third party paid, expenses, services and duration; without one the agent forfeits pay (4:423.1(B) to (D)). An unreasonable fee is barred (4:424(A)(10)); the statute sets no percentage cap. A contract for representation or NIL pay may not run past the athlete's participation in the athletic program (R.S. 17:3703(J)).
- Cancellation. The 16-day rescission right is written for agent contracts with professional teams (4:423(B)(1)(d), (F)(3)); the statute sets no cancellation window for an endorsement representation disclosure.
- Notice to the athletic director. The duty to notify the athletic director and head coach, and the 7-day advance notice before contacting an athlete, apply "with respect to agent contracts only" (4:424(C)(1), (3)); the 72-hour notice is for signing an agent contract (4:424(C)(4)). For NIL deals, the agent must ensure the athlete discloses the endorsement contract to the school (4:423.1(F)(1)).
- Enforcement. Administrative fines up to $100,000 (4:426(B)); failing to register is a misdemeanor (4:426(E)); an athlete harmed in eligibility, money or reputation may sue for actual damages, costs and attorney fees, and the agent forfeits and refunds pay (4:432.1); a violation is also an unfair trade practice (4:434).
Revenue-sharing records
Act 818 of 2026 (HB 608) rewrote R.S. 17:3703(M) effective 2026-08-01. The total a school spends each fiscal year on an "intercollegiate athletics revenue sharing program" is public. The amount or percentage paid to any specific athlete, the amount allocated to any sport, and any document from negotiating a revenue-sharing agreement with an athlete are not. Documents from negotiating a revenue-sharing agreement with an athlete, including the agreement itself, are also confidential. Section 2 says the act applies "both prospectively and retroactively" to records and requests existing, created or pending on or after its effective date.
Bills that did not pass
- SB 200 (2025) would have kept the NIL law from applying to nonresident international athletes without permanent legal status and capped scholarships for foreign athletes at 25%. It was returned to the Senate calendar, subject to call, on 2025-05-07, its last action.
- HB 168 (2025) would have created income tax deductions for athletes' income and for NIL payments to athletes. It stayed in the House Ways and Means Committee.
- HR 15 (2025), a House resolution adopted 83-0 on 2025-05-22, created a task force to study NIL in Louisiana and report to the House Education Committee by 2026-01-23. A resolution is not law.
How it changed
| Act | What it did | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Act 479 (SB 60, 2021 Regular Session) | enacted R.S. 17:3701 to 3703: athletes at Louisiana colleges may earn NIL pay at market value; no NIL pay from the school, its supporting entities or their staff; no booster-arranged NIL as a recruiting inducement; disclosure of every NIL contract to the school; banned categories; financial literacy workshops; scholarship protection | 2021-07-01 |
| Act 307 (SB 250, 2022 Regular Session) | rewrote R.S. 17:3703: dropped the bars on pay from school-supporting entities and on booster-created NIL opportunities, added gaming to the banned categories, added the liability shield for school staff and made disclosed contract documents confidential (also amended R.S. 44:4.1(B)(9)) | 2022-06-10 |
| Act 374 (HB 133, 2022 Regular Session) | technical corrections across Title 17, including the introductory paragraph of R.S. 17:3702 | 2022-08-01 |
| Act 105 (SB 191, 2023 Regular Session) | enacted R.S. 17:3704: public colleges may not enter partnerships that promote sports wagering with licensed gaming entities | 2023-06-06 |
| Act 358 (SB 465, 2024 Regular Session) | let a school and its staff pay for and take part in NIL when a court order, the governing association's bylaws or a settlement allows it; dropped the market-value rule; added marketing representatives; set the disclosure threshold at $600; made financial literacy training annual (2.5 hours); widened the liability shield | 2024-05-28 |
| Act 895 (SB 389, 2026 Regular Session) | rewrote the athlete agent law (R.S. 4:420 to 4:435): an individual paid, or expecting pay, to represent or advise an athlete on endorsements, including NIL, is an athlete agent who registers with the Department of Justice; two-year registration, training, background checks, a written endorsement representation disclosure, an athlete's civil action, fines up to $100,000; agents already working had to register by 2026-08-01 | 2026-06-09 |
| Act 810 (HB 513, 2026 Regular Session) | renamed Chapter 30 to cover high school athletes and enacted R.S. 17:3705 (high school NIL); tied college NIL representation to registration under R.S. 4:422 and dropped 3703(D)'s separate clauses on agents, the federal SPARTA and attorney licensing; schools set reporting rules for disclosures "in alignment with the rules and guidance of the applicable athletic governing commission"; each management board and school must adopt NIL policies covering seven listed subjects | 2026-08-01 |
| Act 818 (HB 608, 2026 Regular Session) | amended R.S. 17:3703(M): a school's yearly revenue-sharing total is public, but amounts paid to a specific athlete or sport and revenue-sharing negotiation documents are not; applies retroactively | 2026-08-01 |
| Act 883 (HB 1195, 2026 Regular Session) | a State Athletic Commission act that also rewrote the athlete agent fee in R.S. 4:422 ($1,000 for an initial or renewal registration, $500 for one based on another state's certificate), set a two-year term, sent the fees to the Department of Justice Legal Support Fund and repealed 4:422(C); signed 2026-06-09, the same day as Act 895 | 2026-08-01 |
Federal law
As of 2026-10-21, S. 4668 (Protect College Sports Act) passed the Senate 77-22 on 2026-09-28 and has been held at the House desk since 2026-10-05, with no later action; it is not law. If enacted as passed, its § 121(a)(2) covers state laws that govern, regulate or invalidate school, conference or association rules on NIL compensation, transfers or eligibility, and § 121(a)(1) covers state laws that conflict with the title so as to prevent compliance. On its text, § 121(a)(2) describes Louisiana's conditions on school pay (R.S. 17:3703(A)(1)), the bar on school rules that restrict NIL earning (3703(B)), the school's power to block deals that conflict with its sponsors or values (3703(C)(1)) and the policy mandates in 3703(N). § 121(b) keeps, unless they conflict with § 121(a), Uniform Athlete Agent Acts and state contract, privacy, tort, consumer protection, trademark and copyright law. Louisiana's agent law (R.S. 4:420 to 4:435) is the state's own 1987 act, not the Uniform Act, though Act 895 ties it to the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (R.S. 4:434); the contract-term rules (3703(F), (J)) and the confidentiality rules (3703(M)) fall in the contract and privacy categories. The bill would add federal rules: Division I athletes report deals over $600 to the school and the association's designated entity within 5 days (§ 101(b)), schools and collectives may pay (§ 101(c)), endorsement-contract agents register with a State, take no more than 5% and sign no agency contract past eligibility (§ 102). It speaks to college sports only; R.S. 17:3705's high school rules are not school, conference or intercollegiate association rules as § 121(a)(2) describes them, and § 122 is neutral on employee status.
What sits on top of it
- Division I reporting. Third-party deals of $600 or more go to NIL Go within five business days, whatever the state's own rule (NIL Go, reporting a deal, level by level).
- Your school. A school can set a stricter policy than the statute, and most set the disclosure process.
- Agents. Louisiana's athlete-agent rules are on the state-by-state registration table.
- High school. High school NIL in Louisiana is set by the state's athletic association, not this statute.
- Taxes. NIL taxes in plain words.
How Leave fits
In Leave, every deal thread carries a rules summary for the athlete's state and level, and keeps the contract, its dates and the disclosure deadline that applies. It is a summary, not a ruling; the school and the statute decide. Leave is software, not an agent, and takes 0% of any deal. You decide, you send.
Questions about college NIL law in Louisiana
What is Louisiana's NIL law in 2026?
Chapter 30 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes (R.S. 17:3701 to 3705), enacted by Act 479 of 2021, added to in 2023 (R.S. 17:3704) and amended in 2022, 2024 and 2026. Its current text lets a school pay for or take part in NIL when a court order, the governing association's bylaws or a settlement allows it, requires disclosure of NIL contracts worth $600 or more, bans some endorsement categories and keeps disclosed contracts out of the Public Records Law. Acts 810 and 818 of 2026 (effective 2026-08-01) added high school NIL and revenue-sharing confidentiality, and Act 895 (effective 2026-06-09) brought NIL agents under the athlete agent law.
Can Louisiana colleges pay athletes directly?
R.S. 17:3703(A)(1) says that, to the extent the governing association's rules prohibit it, a school or its staff may not pay a current or prospective athlete for NIL unless a court order, the association's bylaws or regulations, or a settlement agreement or consent decree with the same effect authorizes it; 3703(A)(2) then lets a school take part in NIL "directly". Since 2026-08-01, R.S. 17:3703(M)(2) refers to a school's "intercollegiate athletics revenue sharing program" and makes the yearly total public. The statute does not name the House settlement.
Do I have to tell my school about an NIL deal in Louisiana?
R.S. 17:3703(I)(1) says an athlete who enters into an NIL contract worth $600 or more discloses it to the school in the manner the school designates. Since 2026-08-01 the school sets the reporting rules in line with the governing association's rules (3703(I)(2)); the statute sets no number of days. Documents disclosed are confidential (3703(M)(1)). Deals under $600 are not covered by the statute; school and association rules can still apply.
Does Louisiana require an NIL agent to be licensed?
Yes, registered. Since 2026-06-09 an individual paid, or expecting pay, to represent or advise an athlete on an endorsement contract or NIL is an "athlete agent" (R.S. 4:421(A)(4)) who may not act in Louisiana without registering with the public protection division of the Department of Justice (R.S. 4:422(A)). Registration lasts two years and needs Attorney General training and a background check (4:422(E), (H), (I)); agents already working had until 2026-08-01 (4:435). The agent and athlete sign a written endorsement representation disclosure stating fees and duration (4:423.1). The fee is unsettled: Act 895 kept "an annual registration fee of one hundred dollars", while Act 883 set $1,000 for an initial or renewal registration and $500 for one based on another state's certificate. Both were signed on 2026-06-09, no later act reconciles them, and the legislature's site prints both versions of R.S. 4:422.
Are NIL contracts public records in Louisiana?
No. Under R.S. 17:3703(M)(1), any document an athlete discloses to the school that references the terms of an NIL contract is confidential and not subject to the Public Records Law. Since 2026-08-01, a school's total yearly revenue-sharing spending is public, but what it pays any specific athlete or sport and its revenue-sharing negotiation documents are not (3703(M)(2), (3)), and Act 818 applies that to records and requests pending on or after its effective date.
Does Louisiana's NIL law cover high school athletes?
Since 2026-08-01, yes. R.S. 17:3705, enacted by Act 810 of 2026, lets high school athletes earn NIL pay, requires written parental consent under 18, bars nine categories including alcohol, cannabis, gambling and weapons, requires disclosure of a proposed agreement to the high school before signing, and bars the governing association from declaring an athlete ineligible for NIL pay. Louisiana's athlete agent law also covers junior high and high school athletes (R.S. 4:421(A)(3), (18)).
Be your own agent. Leave.
