The rule
High school activities in Utah are governed by the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA). The rule is By-Laws Article 1, Section 6, the Amateur Rule, with Interpretations and Guidelines 1.6.1 F, in the UHSAA Handbook 2026-27 dated October 12, 2026; the 2025-26 handbook carries the same wording. Everything on this page is taken from the UHSAA's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | Yes, as a restriction on how; the handbook gives no start date |
| Who must be told | No one, for commercial deals; any appearance for a nonprofit organization must be approved by the Board of Trustees |
| School marks | No school team uniform or any identifying school insignia in any advertisement, promotion or endorsement; no lending name and team affiliation for a commercial endorsement |
| Banned categories | None listed |
| Pay-for-play | Competing for money or cash prizes means ineligibility (1.6.1 D) |
| Recruiting | By-Laws Section 10, Undue Influence, defines recruiting broadly, by anyone, including any promise of employment, housing or financial aid |
| Collectives | No rule; Section 10 covers anyone acting for a school |
| Agents | The handbook is silent; Utah's athlete-agent act registers agents with the Division of Professional Licensing |
| Penalty | The student has thereby become ineligible for further high school competition (Section 6 A) |
What the rule says
- The permission, as a restriction. "Although a student may accept money for the use his or her name, image, and likeness," the two conducts below violate the Amateur Rule.
- No uniform or insignia in the ad. "Wearing a school team uniform or any identifying school insignia while appearing in any advertisement," promotion or endorsement.
- No team affiliation. "Lending his/her name and team affiliation for purposes of commercial endorsement"; endorsements are fine "provided there is no school team or school affiliation."
- Nonprofits. "Any appearances by students for nonprofit organizations must be approved by the Board of Trustees." Commercial deals have no reporting requirement.
- No categories, no agent wording. The handbook lists neither.
- Competing for money. Competing for money or cash prizes means ineligibility (1.6.1 D).
- Undue influence. By-Laws Section 10 defines recruiting broadly, "by anyone," including any promise of employment, housing or financial aid.
- The penalty. A violating student "has thereby become ineligible for further high school competition" (Section 6 A).
- Re-check. The UHSAA revises its handbook mid-year; the current revision is dated October 12, 2026.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the UHSAA. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers UHSAA 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 Utah
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in Utah?
Yes. The UHSAA's Amateur Rule says a student may accept money for the use of their name, image and likeness; what it bars is a school uniform or identifying school insignia in the ad, and lending their name and team affiliation for the endorsement.
Do I have to report an NIL deal in Utah?
Not a commercial deal; the handbook sets no reporting requirement for those. Any appearance for a nonprofit organization must be approved by the Board of Trustees. A school or district can set its own policy.
Are there banned products in Utah?
The UHSAA rule lists none. It restricts the use of school identity, not the kind of product.
What is the penalty in Utah?
Under Section 6 A, a student who violates the Amateur Rule has thereby become ineligible for further high school competition.
Be your own agent. Leave.