The rule
High school sports in Louisiana are governed by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA). The rule is Bylaw 1.25, Maintaining Amateur Status, in the 2026-2027 LHSAA Handbook (final, July 6, 2026), read with the LHSAA Name, Image and Likeness Position Statement approved April 7, 2022; the handbook is published as a page-flip viewer rather than a PDF. Everything on this page is taken from the LHSAA's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | Yes, by position statement since April 7, 2022 |
| Who must be told | No one; the handbook is silent |
| School and LHSAA marks | No rule in the handbook |
| Banned categories | None listed |
| What stays barred | Any salary or financial compensation except actual expenses; pay in consideration of or as a reward for participating in any sport; pay for appearing in person at any competition, exhibition or exercise in sports (Bylaw 1.25) |
| Recruiting | Bylaw 2.1.2 defines athletic recruiting as undue influence or special inducement, with no NIL-specific wording |
| Collectives | No rule |
| Agents | Nothing in the handbook; Louisiana's athlete-agent act, rewritten in 2026, covers paid NIL advice at high school and college |
| Penalty | A student who signs an athletic contract for any kind of pay is ineligible; eligibility is reinstated if the money is returned before a penalty ruling (1.25.2) |
| College eligibility | Compliance with LHSAA bylaws does not ensure eligibility with the NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA |
What the rule says
- The permission, by position statement. "LHSAA Bylaws do not prohibit student athletes from engaging in certain commercial activities in their individual capacities." The statement was approved April 7, 2022 and sits on top of the amateur bylaw rather than amending it.
- What the bylaw still bars. "No student shall, at any time, receive any salary or financial compensation, except actual expenses." Violations include pay "in consideration of, or as a reward for, participating in any sport" and for "appearing in person at any competition, exhibition, or exercise in sports."
- No reporting, no marks rule, no categories. The handbook sets none of them, and has no collective rule.
- Recruiting. Bylaw 2.1.2 defines athletic recruiting as undue influence or special inducement, with no NIL-specific wording.
- College eligibility. Compliance with the LHSAA bylaws "does not ensure" eligibility with the NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA.
- The penalty. "A student who signs an athletic contract for any kind of pay shall be ineligible for further high school athletic participation in the LHSAA," with reinstatement under 1.25.2 if the money is returned before a penalty ruling.
- Outside the handbook. A 2026 Louisiana statute on high school NIL was reported and not read; the handbook does not reference it. Louisiana's athlete-agent act, rewritten in June 2026, treats paid NIL advice to a high school athlete as agent work and requires a written endorsement disclosure.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the LHSAA. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers LHSAA 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 Louisiana
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in Louisiana?
Yes. The LHSAA's Name, Image and Likeness Position Statement, approved April 7, 2022, says the bylaws do not prohibit student athletes from engaging in certain commercial activities in their individual capacities. Bylaw 1.25 still bars pay for playing or for appearing in person at a competition.
Do I have to report an NIL deal in Louisiana?
The LHSAA handbook sets no reporting requirement. A school or district can set its own policy. The state's 2026 athlete-agent act separately requires a written endorsement disclosure from an agent who represents a high school or college athlete.
Does Louisiana have a marks rule or banned categories?
Not in the LHSAA handbook. It has no rule on school or association marks and no list of banned product categories; the position statement and Bylaw 1.25 are the whole text.
What happens if a Louisiana athlete breaks the amateur rule?
A student who signs an athletic contract for any kind of pay is ineligible for further LHSAA participation; under Bylaw 1.25.2, eligibility is reinstated if the money is returned before a penalty ruling.
Be your own agent. Leave.