The rule
High school sports in Nevada are governed by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA), whose rules are state regulations. The rule is Nevada Administrative Code 385B.374, subsections 1(a), 3 and 4, added in 2004 and last amended by R041-22 effective September 28, 2022, linked from the NIAA's publications page. Everything on this page is taken from the NIAA's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | Narrowly; an endorsement not involving a sanctioned sport is safe if the school, team, NIAA and their logos and uniforms are not used (subsection 3); money, compensation, an endorsement or a gift tied to participation in a sanctioned sport ends amateur status (1(a)) |
| Who must be told | No one |
| School and NIAA marks | No school, team, NIAA or affiliate; no school or team uniform; no school, team or NIAA logo |
| Banned categories | None |
| Awards | Above $1,500 retail value cost amateur status (1(c)) |
| Pay-for-play | No playing for money (1(b)) |
| Recruiting | NAC 385B.038 and 385B.342; one semester to 180 school days of ineligibility, a school fine and probation, a two-year coach suspension |
| Collectives | None |
| Agents | No wording; Nevada's athlete-agent act registers agents with the Secretary of State |
| Penalty | Loss of amateur status, with a reinstatement application possible after one year (subsection 4) |
What the rule says
- What ends amateur status. Receiving "any money, compensation, endorsement or gift of monetary value in affiliation or connection with his or her participation in a sanctioned sport" (1(a)); playing for money (1(b)); awards above $1,500 retail value (1(c)).
- The carve-out. "A pupil who participates in a commercial endorsement not involving a sanctioned sport does not forfeit his or her status as an amateur" (subsection 3), provided the pupil does not use the school, team, NIAA or an affiliate, does not "appear in the uniform of his or her school or a team associated with his or her school in the endorsement" (3(b)), and does not use a school, team or NIAA logo.
- No NIL wording. The regulation speaks of endorsements and sanctioned sports, not name, image or likeness.
- No disclosure, no categories, no agent wording. The regulation sets none.
- Recruiting. NAC 385B.038 and 385B.342 carry one semester to 180 school days of ineligibility, a school fine and probation, and a two-year coach suspension.
- The penalty. Loss of amateur status, with a reinstatement application possible after one year (subsection 4).
- Unchanged. Last amended effective September 28, 2022; not on the September 2026 workshop list or the October 2026 rules committee agenda. The NIAA's 2025 eligibility position statement is an image-only PDF and could not be read. Re-check November 2026, then July 2027.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the NIAA. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers NIAA 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 Nevada
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in Nevada?
Narrowly. NAC 385B.374 says a pupil who participates in a commercial endorsement not involving a sanctioned sport does not forfeit amateur status, provided the school, team, NIAA and their logos and uniforms are not used; money, compensation, an endorsement or a gift in affiliation or connection with participation in a sanctioned sport ends it. The regulation does not use the words NIL or likeness.
Do I have to report an endorsement in Nevada?
The regulation sets no disclosure requirement. A school or district can set its own policy.
Has Nevada's rule changed?
Not since September 28, 2022. NAC 385B.374 was not among the 22 sections listed for the NIAA's September 22, 2026 regulation workshop, and the October 21, 2026 rules committee agenda has no NIL item.
What is the penalty in Nevada?
Loss of amateur status, with an application for reinstatement possible after one year under subsection 4.
Be your own agent. Leave.