The rule
High school activities in South Dakota are governed by the South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA). The rule is the Name, Image, and Likeness paragraph (updated 2024), conditions 1 to 11, of Chapter II, Part I, Section 6, Amateur Standing, in the SDHSAA Constitution and Bylaws effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027; the text is identical to the July 1, 2025 edition. Everything on this page is taken from the SDHSAA's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | Yes; the paragraph is marked updated 2024 |
| Who must be told | No one; the rule is silent |
| School and SDHSAA marks | No SDHSAA or member-school marks or logos; no school name or mascot reference; no uniform and no clothing or equipment bearing the logo; no school facilities; no awards or trophies displayed |
| Banned categories | Alcohol, tobacco, vaping, controlled substances, gambling, banned athletic substances, or other illegal substances or activities |
| Limits | Activities may not interfere with the student's academic obligations; international students are told to check visa law |
| Pay-for-play and recruiting | No pay tied to athletic performance; no inducement to attend or transfer to a particular school |
| Schools, boosters, collectives | No pay from the school or agents associated with it, such as booster clubs or foundations; schools may not arrange, develop or promote the relationship |
| Agents | Allowed; students may use professional NIL services for advice, representation and marketing, from a provider who is not an employee or contractor of the school or of booster clubs or foundations |
| Penalty | Loss of amateur standing; reinstatement by the Board after the lapse of one year |
| College | The family contacts the NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA to protect post-secondary eligibility |
What the rule says
- The permission. "A student may receive remuneration for the use of their name, picture, likeness, and/or personal appearance," under the eleven conditions that follow.
- Not for performance, not for enrolling. "The remuneration is not tied to athletic performance (pay for play)," and may not be an inducement "to attend a particular school or transfer to a particular school."
- Not from the school's side. No pay from "the school or agents associated with the school (i.e.- Booster Clubs, Foundations)." "Member schools may not arrange, develop, or promote the relationship between the student and the involved entity."
- No school identity. No SDHSAA or member-school marks or logos, and no school name or mascot reference; "Member school uniform may not be used (worn, displayed, or otherwise) in the activity," nor clothing or equipment bearing the logo; no school facilities; no awards or trophies displayed.
- Seven banned categories. Alcohol, tobacco, vaping, controlled substances, gambling, banned athletic substances, or other illegal substances or activities.
- School first, visas noted. Activities must "not interfere with the student's academic obligations"; international students are told to check visa law.
- Representation allowed. Students "may use professional NIL services for advice, representation, and marketing," from a provider who is not an employee or contractor of the school or of booster clubs or foundations.
- College. The family contacts "the NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA" to protect post-secondary eligibility.
- The penalty. Loss of amateur standing, with reinstatement by the Board "after the lapse of one year." The text is unchanged from the July 2025 edition.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the SDHSAA. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers SDHSAA 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 Dakota
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in South Dakota?
Yes. The SDHSAA amateur rule's NIL paragraph, updated in 2024, says a student may receive remuneration for the use of their name, picture, likeness or personal appearance, subject to eleven conditions.
Can a South Dakota high school athlete have an agent?
Yes. The rule says students may use professional NIL services for advice, representation and marketing, provided the provider is not an employee or contractor of the school or of booster clubs or foundations. South Dakota's athlete-agent act registers agents with the Department of Labor and Regulation.
Do I have to report an NIL deal in South Dakota?
The SDHSAA rule sets no reporting requirement. A school or district can set its own policy.
What is the penalty in South Dakota?
Loss of amateur standing, with reinstatement by the Board after the lapse of one year.
Be your own agent. Leave.