The rule
High school sports in Kentucky are governed by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA). The rule is Bylaw 10, Amateur and Awards, Section 3, Restrictions and Allowances on the Use of Name, Image and Likeness by Participants and Schools, with the Board of Control policy on advertising and sponsorship restrictions and NIL guidance, in the 2025-26 KHSAA Handbook, the edition the association's site links as current on October 13, 2026; Case BL-10-5 ties the rule to 2022 Kentucky Acts chapter 12 (SB 6). Everything on this page is taken from the KHSAA's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | Yes, since SB 6 was signed March 9, 2022 |
| Who must be told | No one under the bylaw; the Board of Control directed staff on August 2, 2024 to develop a reporting rule |
| School and KHSAA marks | No school intellectual property (trademarks, uniforms, school-identifying apparel whether issued by the school or not, copyrights); no association logos; no school-owned property |
| Banned categories | Twenty, under Board policy; advocacy; cigarettes, vaping or tobacco; betting or gambling (the Kentucky Lottery excepted); weapons, firearms and ammunition; 900 phone numbers; contraceptives; tattoo parlors and body piercing; NC-17 movies; adult entertainment; R movies; M-rated games; hard liquor; beer, wine or other alcohol; high-risk investments, business opportunities and health offerings; cannabis products; prescription pharmaceuticals; other controlled dangerous substances; collegiate NIL collectives |
| Pay | At the prevailing market rate; nothing directly related to specific ability, performance or contest results (Bylaw 10, Section 3(c)(2)) |
| Schools, boosters, collectives | No one with a connection to a member school may give or promise NIL pay (Bylaw 16, Section 1(f) and (g)); no coach or administrator may be involved (Case BL-10-5) |
| Agents | The bylaw is silent; an NIL agreement is defined by reference to KRS 164.6941, and Kentucky's athlete-agent act treats an NIL agreement as an agency contract |
| Penalty | Bylaw 27 penalties, including a period of ineligibility |
| College eligibility | A contract compliant with NCAA regulations and Kentucky law is required (Case BL-10-5) |
What the rule says
- The permission, from the statute. Case BL-10-5 ties the bylaw to 2022 Kentucky Acts chapter 12, Senate Bill 6, signed March 9, 2022.
- No school property. "No enrolled student-athlete with athletic eligibility remaining shall use such intellectual property in earning compensation through name, image, and likeness activities." The bylaw defines school intellectual property broadly, including apparel "whether issued by the school or not," and bars association logos and school-owned property.
- Twenty banned categories. Under the Board's policy, Section 2(b): advocacy; cigarettes, vaping or tobacco; betting or gambling; weapons, firearms and ammunition; 900 phone numbers; contraceptives; tattoo parlors and body piercing; NC-17 movies; adult entertainment; R movies; M-rated games; hard liquor; beer, wine or other alcoholic beverages; high-risk investments; high-risk business opportunities; high-risk health offerings; cannabis products; prescription pharmaceuticals; other controlled dangerous substances; collegiate NIL collectives. The Kentucky Lottery is excluded from the gambling and high-risk categories.
- Market rate, not performance. Pay must be at the prevailing market rate, and Bylaw 10, Section 3(c)(2) bars pay "directly related to specific ability, performance or contest results."
- No school connection. "An individual with a connection to a member school shall not give or promise compensation for the use of an athlete's name, image, or likeness" (Bylaw 16, Section 1(f) and (g)); Case BL-10-5 says no member school coach or administrator may be involved.
- No reporting rule yet. The bylaw sets none; the Board directed staff on August 2, 2024 to develop one.
- College eligibility. Case BL-10-5 requires "a contract compliant with NCAA regulations and Kentucky law."
- The penalty. Bylaw 27 penalties, "including a period of ineligibility."
- Pending change. Proposal 2026-10 adds a booster definition to Bylaw 16 that includes every athlete's parent or guardian; it passed 213 to 8 on September 17, 2026 and awaits regulatory approval starting with the November 2026 Board meeting. The 2026-27 handbook was not yet posted on October 13, 2026.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the KHSAA. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers KHSAA 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 Kentucky
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in Kentucky?
Yes, since Senate Bill 6 was signed on March 9, 2022. KHSAA Bylaw 10, Section 3 allows it with no school intellectual property or association logos, pay at the prevailing market rate, nothing tied to performance or results, and no one connected to a member school involved in the pay.
Do I have to report an NIL deal in Kentucky?
Not under the bylaw as it stands. The Board of Control directed staff on August 2, 2024 to develop a reporting rule; check the current handbook and your school's policy.
What products are off limits in Kentucky?
A Board of Control policy lists twenty categories, including cigarettes and vaping, gambling (the Kentucky Lottery excepted), weapons, contraceptives, tattoo and piercing parlors, NC-17 and R movies, M-rated games, alcohol, high-risk investments and business and health offerings, cannabis, prescription drugs, other controlled substances, advocacy and collegiate NIL collectives.
Can a parent be involved in a Kentucky athlete's NIL deal?
The bylaws bar anyone with a connection to a member school from giving or promising NIL pay. Proposal 2026-10, passed 213 to 8 at the September 17, 2026 Annual Meeting and pending regulatory approval from the November 2026 Board meeting, would define every athlete's parent or guardian as a booster under Bylaw 16.
Be your own agent. Leave.