The rule
High school activities in New Mexico are governed by the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA). The rule is Bylaw 6.17.3.A.3, within Loss of Amateur Status, with its Q&A, in Section VI, Eligibility, of the NMAA Handbook (file dated August 2026); the same text was numbered 6.18.3 in the 2025-26 edition. Everything on this page is taken from the NMAA's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | Yes, provided there is no school, school team or NMAA affiliation; the text gives no start date |
| Who must be told | No one; the bylaw is silent |
| School and NMAA marks | No uniform; no name, marks or logos of the school or NMAA; no references to the school or Association, including hashtags or other social media tags (Q6) |
| Banned categories | None listed |
| Gifts and awards | Gifts tied to athletic participation, such as free shoes or team meals, cost amateur status (Q1 to Q3); booster merchandise awards are banned; the rule also applies to Esports |
| Pay-for-play and recruiting | Competing for money or prizes forfeits amateur status (6.17.3.A.1 and 2); Bylaw 6.2.1 bars improper benefits not available to all students and influence by parents and boosters |
| Collectives | No NIL-specific rule |
| Agents | The bylaw is silent; New Mexico's athlete-agent act registers agents with the Secretary of State |
| Penalty | Amateur status is forfeited in that sport only (6.17.9), with reinstatement by appeal to the NMAA; general sanctions include suspension and fines (6.19.1) |
| College | A letter of intent may be signed (6.17.4); non-school awards follow NCAA guidelines (6.17.7) |
What the rule says
- The permission, as a carve-out. The amateur rule is "not intended to restrict the right of any student to use their name, image, or likeness to participate in a commercial endorsement," "provided there is no school, school team, or NMAA affiliation."
- No uniform, no marks, no tags. "The student is prohibited from appearing in the uniform of the student's school," and from using the "name, marks, logos, etc. of the school, or NMAA." The Q&A adds "references (including hashtags, or other social media tags) to the school or the Association."
- No reporting, no categories. The bylaw sets no notice and no banned product list.
- Gifts for playing. Gifts tied to athletic participation, such as free shoes or team meals, cost amateur status (Q1 to Q3), and booster merchandise awards are banned. The rule also applies to Esports.
- Competing for money. Competing for money or prizes forfeits amateur status (6.17.3.A.1 and 2); Bylaw 6.2.1 on recruiting bars improper benefits not available to all students and influence by parents and boosters.
- College. A letter of intent may be signed (6.17.4); non-school awards follow NCAA guidelines (6.17.7).
- The penalty. Amateur status is forfeited in that sport only (6.17.9), with reinstatement by appeal to the NMAA; general sanctions include suspension and fines (6.19.1).
- Unchanged. Compared with the archived prior edition, the text is word for word the same; only the number moved from 6.18.3 to 6.17.3. The handbook is reissued each July.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the NMAA. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers NMAA 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 New Mexico
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in New Mexico?
Yes, with no school affiliation. NMAA Bylaw 6.17.3.A.3 says the amateur rule is not intended to restrict a student's right to use their name, image or likeness in a commercial endorsement provided there is no school, school team or NMAA affiliation.
Can I tag my school in New Mexico NIL content?
No. The handbook's Q6 bars references to the school or the Association, including hashtags or other social media tags, along with the uniform and any school or NMAA name, marks or logos.
Do I have to report an NIL deal in New Mexico?
The NMAA bylaw sets no reporting requirement. A school or district can set its own policy.
What happens if a New Mexico athlete breaks the amateur rule?
Amateur status is forfeited in that sport only, under Bylaw 6.17.9, with reinstatement by appeal to the NMAA and no fixed waiting period; the association's general sanctions include suspension and fines.
Be your own agent. Leave.