The rule
High school sports in Arizona are governed by the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA). The rule is Article 15, Bylaws 15.11.1.1 (Name Image and Likeness) and 15.11.1.2 (NIL Guidelines) of the AIA 2026-2027 Constitution, Bylaws, and Policies and Procedures, with the Recruitment Rule at 15.12 and loss of amateur standing at 15.11.3. Everything on this page is taken from the AIA's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | Yes; the bylaw gives no start date |
| Who must be told | The school's athletic director, by the student or the parents or guardians; no form is named |
| By when | Within five school days of entering into any NIL contract or agreement |
| School and AIA marks | No school or district name, logo, uniforms or mascots, and no AIA logo; no school or district apparel or equipment carrying those marks; no member-school facility may be used |
| Banned categories | No fixed list; activities in conflict with the district's policy are barred, with tobacco, alcohol and controlled substances as the examples |
| Schools, boosters, collectives | Compensation may not come from the school, a booster club, a collective, or anyone acting as an agent for the school; no student may join or take benefits from a Collective or NIL Club (both defined); a school-supervised booster club that funds teams is not a collective |
| Pay-for-play and recruiting | No pay contingent on athletic performance or achievement, and none as an incentive to enroll or remain enrolled; NIL may not be used to violate the Recruitment Rule, 15.12 |
| Agents | The rule anticipates deals made by the student, a family member or anyone else on the student's behalf, without using the word "agent" for the athlete's side |
| Penalty | Immediate loss of eligibility; loss of amateur standing covers all sports for up to one calendar year, or until the Executive Board reinstates (15.11.3) |
What the rule says
- The permission. "A student-athlete may benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL) provided the NIL is not connected to his/her AIA sanctioned high school team or activity program."
- The five-day notice. "Within five (5) school days of entering into any NIL contract/agreement, a student, or the student's parents/guardians, must notify the school's Athletic Director of the agreement."
- No school identity or facilities. No school or district name, logo, uniforms or mascots, no AIA logo, no school or district apparel or equipment carrying them, and no member-school facility used for NIL.
- Not from the school's side. Compensation may not come from "the school, a booster club, a collective, or any person/entity acting as an agent on behalf of the school." "No student-athlete may be a member of nor receive compensation or any other benefit from a Collective or NIL Club."
- Not for performance, not for enrolling. Compensation may not be "contingent on athletic performance or achievement" or "an incentive to enroll in or remain enrolled," and NIL may not be used to violate the Recruitment Rule.
- Categories by district policy. No fixed list; activities in conflict with the district's policy are barred, with tobacco, alcohol and controlled substances as the examples.
- College and tax. Families "should seek professional guidance regarding collegiate financial aid, NCAA clearinghouse, legal and/or tax implications."
- The penalty. Immediate loss of eligibility; under 15.11.3, loss of amateur standing covers all sports for up to a calendar year, or until the Executive Board reinstates.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the AIA. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers AIA member schools. A school in another association follows that association's rule.
- College rules later. A deal that is fine in high school can still matter to the NCAA, NJCAA or NAIA. At Division I, third-party deals of $600 or more go to NIL Go, and prospects report from the first day of junior year. The NIL guide has the college windows and NIL Go has its own page.
- Agents. The state's athlete-agent law applies to high school athletes; can a high school athlete have an agent? and the state-by-state registration table cover it.
- Taxes. NIL pay is taxable at any age. NIL taxes in plain words.
- The contract itself. What each clause means.
How Leave fits
In Leave, every deal thread carries a rules summary for the athlete's state, level and age, and a disclosure packet for the school comes with a countdown to the deadline. It is a summary, not a ruling; your school decides. Athletes 13 to 17 use Leave through an account a parent or guardian creates, and are visible to businesses only when the guardian has turned that on and the state allows high school NIL. Leave is software, not an agent. You decide, you send.
Questions about high school NIL in Arizona
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in Arizona?
Yes. AIA Bylaw 15.11.1.1 lets a student-athlete benefit from their NIL provided it is not connected to their AIA-sanctioned high school team or activity program, with no school, district or AIA marks, uniforms or facilities, and no money from the school, a booster club or a collective.
Who do I report an NIL deal to in Arizona, and by when?
The school's athletic director, within five school days of entering into any NIL contract or agreement. The bylaw says the student or the student's parents or guardians give the notice; it names no form.
Are NIL collectives allowed in Arizona high school sports?
No. The bylaw says no student-athlete may be a member of, or receive compensation or any other benefit from, a Collective or NIL Club, both of which it defines, and compensation may not come from the school, a booster club, a collective or anyone acting as an agent for the school. A school-supervised booster club that funds teams is not a collective.
What products are off limits in Arizona?
The AIA sets no fixed list. It bars activities in conflict with the member school's district policy and gives tobacco products, alcohol products and controlled substances as examples, so the district's policy is the text to read.
Be your own agent. Leave.