The rule
High school sports in South Carolina are governed by the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL). The rule is Article III, Section 14, Amateur Status, in the SCHSL 2026-27 By-laws effective July 1, 2026, compared on October 13, 2026 with the 2025-26 and 2024-25 editions. Everything on this page is taken from the SCHSL's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | Unclear; the 2026-27 and 2025-26 by-laws read "A student may not earn compensation," the 2024-25 by-laws read "may," and the same conditions follow in each |
| Who must be told | No one; the by-laws set no reporting requirement |
| School and SCHSL marks | No school logos, name or mascot; no SCHSL logo or acronyms; no school apparel or equipment; no member-school facility |
| Banned categories | No fixed list; no activity in conflict with the local school district's policy, with tobacco and alcohol products as the examples |
| Prizes | Symbolic value only |
| Pay-for-play and recruiting | No pay tied to performance, and none as an incentive to enroll or stay; Section 15, Recruiting, covers undue influence |
| Schools | Pay may not come from the school or any person acting as an agent for the school |
| Agents | The by-laws are silent; South Carolina's athlete-agent act applies, with an NIL fee cap of 20% |
| Penalty | First violation, a formal warning, return of the money and removal of the promotion; second, one year of ineligibility; third, case by case |
What the rule says
- The sentence as written. 2026-27 and 2025-26: "A student may not earn compensation from the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) in compliance with Article III, Section 14 (Amateur Status) ... to include, but not limited to:" followed by the conditions. 2024-25: "A student may earn compensation ... provided:" followed by the same conditions. Nothing else in the section changed.
- No school or League identity. No school logos, name or mascot; no SCHSL logo or acronyms; no school apparel or equipment; no member-school facility.
- Categories by district policy. "No activities in conflict with a member school's local school district policy may be endorsed. Examples include but are not limited to tobacco or alcohol products."
- Prizes. Symbolic value only.
- Not for performance, not for enrolling. No pay tied to performance, and none as an incentive to enroll or stay; Section 15 on recruiting covers undue influence.
- Not from the school. Pay may not come from "the school or any person acting as an agent for the school."
- The penalty, in steps. A first violation brings a formal warning, return of the money and removal of the promotion. "Second Violation: The student shall be ineligible to participate in SCHSL interscholastic athletics at any level of competition for a period of one (1) year." A third is decided case by case.
- What this page does not do. It does not resolve the "may not." The League's text is quoted; the League's office is the place the question goes.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the SCHSL. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers SCHSL 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 South Carolina
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in South Carolina?
The current by-law text does not clearly say. Article III, Section 14 in the 2026-27 and 2025-26 by-laws reads "A student may not earn compensation" from NIL, where the 2024-25 text read "may," and the same permitted-use conditions and penalties follow either way. The SCHSL is the only body that can say which reading it intends; this page quotes the text.
What are the conditions in the South Carolina rule?
No school logos, name or mascot; no SCHSL logo or acronyms; no school apparel, equipment or facilities; nothing in conflict with the local school district's policy, with tobacco and alcohol as examples; prizes of symbolic value only; no pay tied to performance or as an incentive to enroll or stay; and no pay from the school or anyone acting as its agent.
Do I have to report an NIL deal in South Carolina?
The by-laws set no reporting requirement. A school or district can set its own policy.
What is the penalty in South Carolina?
It escalates. A first violation brings a formal warning, return of the money and removal of the promotion; a second brings one year of ineligibility at any level of SCHSL competition; a third is decided case by case.
Be your own agent. Leave.