The rule
High school sports in Montana are governed by the Montana High School Association (MHSA). The rule is By-Laws Article II, Section 16, Amateur Rule, 16.1(d) and 16.2 to 16.3 with its Interpretation, in the Official MHSA Handbook 2026-2027; the same NIL and collective text appears in the 2025-26 handbook. Everything on this page is taken from the MHSA's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | Yes, within limits; the text gives no adoption date |
| Who must be told | No one |
| School and MHSA marks | No image in uniform or in gear from the MHSA or the school; no MHSA or school facilities, patents, products, copyrights or equipment; no practice or game film; no sponsor logos when bound by uniform rules |
| Banned categories | Alcohol, tobacco, nicotine and vaping; controlled substances including cannabis, and paraphernalia; anything unlawful for school-aged students or barred by MHSA or school policy; gambling of any kind, including sports betting and lottery, even if licensed |
| When | No promotion during the school day or team activities |
| Pay-for-play and recruiting | No compensation from anyone affiliated with the school who is trying to induce the student to attend or participate |
| Schools and collectives | No compensation from the school, its agent (booster club, foundation, employee) or a collective; the Interpretation defines a collective as individuals or companies joined to provide NIL opportunities to athletes of specific schools |
| Agents | No wording; Montana repealed its athlete-agent act in 2007 |
| Penalty | A violation may result in a determination of ineligibility by the school and the MHSA; a student who becomes a professional is ineligible in that sport only |
| College | Compliance does not guarantee compliance with NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA rules; families are urged to consult counsel; the MHSA will not review contracts or give binding opinions |
What the rule says
- The structure. By-Law 16.1(d) makes using a student's NIL "as an athlete" in commercial promotion a forfeiture of amateur status, "except as provided under By-Law 16.2," which permits NIL within the limits below.
- No uniform, gear, facilities or film. No image in uniform or in gear from the MHSA or the school; no MHSA or school facilities, patents, products, copyrights or equipment; no practice or game film; no sponsor logos when bound by uniform rules.
- Four banned categories. Alcohol, tobacco, nicotine and vaping; controlled substances including cannabis, and paraphernalia; anything unlawful for school-aged students or barred by MHSA or school policy; gambling of any kind, including sports betting and lottery, even if licensed.
- Not during school or team time. No promotion during the school day or team activities.
- Not from the school's side. No compensation from the school, its agent (booster club, foundation, employee), a collective, or anyone affiliated with the school who is trying to induce the student to attend or participate. The Interpretation defines a collective as individuals or companies joined to provide NIL opportunities to athletes of specific schools.
- No disclosure, no agent wording. The by-law sets neither.
- College and counsel. Compliance does not guarantee compliance with NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA rules; families are urged to consult counsel; the MHSA will not review contracts or give binding opinions.
- The penalty. A violation "may result in a determination" of ineligibility by the school and the MHSA; a student who becomes a professional is ineligible in that sport only. Re-check February 2027, after the January annual meeting.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the MHSA. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers MHSA 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 Montana
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in Montana?
Yes, within the limits of MHSA By-Law 16.2, which permits NIL use that stays off the uniform, school gear, facilities and film, outside the school day and team activities, outside four banned categories, and away from the school, its agents and collectives as sources of pay.
Are NIL collectives allowed in Montana high school sports?
No. Compensation may not come from the school, its agent, a collective, or anyone affiliated with the school trying to induce attendance, and the by-law's Interpretation defines a collective as individuals or companies joined to provide NIL opportunities to athletes of specific schools.
Do I have to report an NIL deal in Montana?
The MHSA by-law sets no disclosure requirement, and the association says it will not review contracts or give binding opinions. A school or district can set its own policy.
What is the penalty in Montana?
A violation may result in a determination of ineligibility by the school and the MHSA. A student who becomes a professional is ineligible in that sport only.
Be your own agent. Leave.