The rule
High school sports in Virginia are governed by the Virginia High School League (VHSL). The rule is Policy 28B-2-4, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), in the VHSL Handbook and Policy Manual 2026-27, with the penalty at 28B-2-5 and the NIL Contract Notification form (revised July 1, 2023). Everything on this page is taken from the VHSL's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | Yes; the handbook gives no start date |
| Who must be told | The principal or athletic director, in writing, on the VHSL NIL Contract Notification form, signed by the student and a parent |
| By when | Within 72 hours of entering into any NIL contract |
| School and VHSL marks | No compensation for VHSL or school intellectual property (name, uniform, mascot, logo of the school, district, region or VHSL); no reference to any of them; no school uniform; no third-party endorsing during team activities unless it is part of the standard uniform |
| Banned categories | Adult entertainment; alcohol; tobacco and electronic smoking products; opioids and prescription pharmaceuticals; controlled dangerous substances; casinos and gambling including sports betting; weapons, firearms and ammunition |
| Schools, boosters, collectives | No school or anyone affiliated with one, including booster clubs, coaches, administrators, alumni or an NIL Collective, may solicit, arrange or negotiate NIL compensation, other than for their own child; schools may not use NIL to incentivize enrollment or team membership |
| Agents | The form has an athlete-agent field, so agents are anticipated; an agreement with an agent to negotiate a professional contract ends amateur status under 28B-2-3 |
| Penalty | Ineligibility under 28B-2-5; the Executive Committee may reinstate on the principal's request after a violation-free year |
| College eligibility | The policy is silent |
What the rule says
- The permission. "Students may receive compensation for the commercialization of their own name, image and likeness (NIL)."
- The 72-hour notice. "Students must notify the Principal or Athletic Director in writing of the student's school upon entering into any type of NIL contract within 72 hours of entering into the contract." The VHSL form is returned "to your VHSL Member School Administration within 72 hours," signed by the student and a parent, naming the agent or paying company, the date signed, the duration and the date submitted.
- No league or school property. "A student may not receive compensation, endorsements or gifts of monetary value for Intellectual Property of the VHSL or any member school": the name, uniform, mascot or logo of the school, district, region or VHSL. No reference to a school team, school, district, region or the VHSL, no school uniform, and no third-party endorsement during team activities "unless it is part of the standard school uniform for that sport."
- Seven banned categories. Adult entertainment products and services; alcohol products; tobacco and electronic smoking products and devices; opioids and prescription pharmaceuticals; controlled dangerous substances; casinos and gambling, including sports betting; weapons, firearms and ammunition.
- No school or collective involvement. No school or anyone affiliated with one, "including booster clubs, coaches, administrators, alumni or an NIL Collective," may solicit, arrange or negotiate NIL compensation, "other than their own child." "Schools and teams may not use NIL opportunities to incentivize a student's enrollment at a school or membership on a team."
- Agents. The notification form has an athlete-agent field. Separately, 28B-2-3(1)(d) ends amateur status for an agreement with an agent to negotiate a professional contract.
- The penalty. Ineligibility under 28B-2-5, with reinstatement possible on the principal's request after a year without violation.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the VHSL. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers VHSL 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 Virginia
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in Virginia?
Yes. VHSL Policy 28B-2-4 says students may receive compensation for the commercialization of their own name, image and likeness, with no VHSL or school intellectual property, seven banned categories, and no school involvement.
Who do I report an NIL deal to in Virginia, and by when?
The principal or athletic director, in writing, within 72 hours of entering into any NIL contract. The VHSL's NIL Contract Notification form asks for student and parent signatures, the name of the agent or paying company, the dates and duration, and a certification that no school, booster, coach, alumni or collective arranged the deal.
Can a parent arrange an NIL deal in Virginia?
The policy bars anyone affiliated with a school, including boosters, coaches, administrators, alumni or an NIL collective, from soliciting, arranging or negotiating NIL compensation, with one exception written in: "other than their own child."
What happens if a Virginia athlete breaks the NIL rule?
Policy 28B-2-5 makes the student ineligible. The Executive Committee may reinstate the student if the principal requests it and certifies there was no violation during that one-year period.
Be your own agent. Leave.