The rule
High school activities in Nebraska are governed by the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA). The rule is Bylaw 3.7, Amateur Rule, 3.7.1(C), with its Approved Rulings and Interpretations on Name, Image and Likeness, in the 2026-27 NSAA Constitution and Bylaws (file dated September 18, 2026), first issued as a standalone ruling effective February 27, 2023. Everything on this page is taken from the NSAA's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | Yes, effective February 27, 2023 |
| Who must be told | No one; the student or a parent must know of any use of the student's name or image |
| School marks | No image in school uniform or gear; no school facilities, equipment or 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 against NSAA 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 |
| Recruiting | Bylaw 2.8, Undue Influence, lists money, room and board, and recruiting by any individual or group outside the school |
| Schools and collectives | No compensation from the school, its agent (booster club, foundation, employee) or anyone affiliated with the school trying to induce attendance |
| Agents | No wording; Nebraska's athlete-agent act registers agents with the Secretary of State |
| Penalty | A violation may result in a determination of ineligibility; reinstatement possible after one full year (3.7.3) |
| College | Compliance does not guarantee compliance with NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA rules; the NSAA will not review contracts |
What the rule says
- The carve-out. The Approved Ruling and Interpretation for Bylaw 3.7.1(C) lets a student earn from NIL within its limits; the bylaw's endorsement ban otherwise stands, and "as an athlete" is the exclusion the ruling works around.
- No uniform, gear, facilities or film. No image in school uniform or gear; no school facilities, equipment or 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 against NSAA 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), or anyone affiliated with the school trying to induce attendance.
- Knowledge, not disclosure. No reporting requirement; "with or without actual endorsement" requires that the student or a parent know of the use of the student's name or image.
- College and counsel. Compliance does not guarantee compliance with NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA rules; the NSAA will not review contracts or give binding opinions; the Board "will continue to review."
- The penalty. A violation may result in a determination of ineligibility; reinstatement possible after one full year (3.7.3). The 2026-27 text matches the 2023 ruling in substance; re-check May 2027, after the April Representative Assembly.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the NSAA. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers NSAA 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 Nebraska
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in Nebraska?
Yes, since February 27, 2023, under the NSAA's Approved Ruling and Interpretation for Bylaw 3.7.1(C), which carves NIL out of the amateur rule's endorsement ban within its limits on uniforms, gear, facilities, film, timing, categories and sources of pay.
Do I have to report an NIL deal in Nebraska?
The ruling sets no disclosure requirement; it does require that the student or a parent know of any use of the student's name or image. A school or district can set its own policy.
Can a booster club pay a Nebraska high school athlete?
No. Compensation may not come from the school, its agent, which the ruling describes as a booster club, foundation or employee, or anyone affiliated with the school who is trying to induce the student to attend.
What is the penalty in Nebraska?
A violation may result in a determination of ineligibility, with reinstatement possible after one full year under Bylaw 3.7.3.
Be your own agent. Leave.