The rule
High school activities in Wyoming are governed by the Wyoming High School Activities Association (WHSAA). The rule is 5.7.0 to 5.7.4, Amateur Standards, with the awards rules at 5.6, in the WHSAA Handbook 2026-27 (updated June 9, 2026), read with the Board of Directors minutes of April 2025 and October 2, 2025 on the failed NIL proposal. Everything on this page is taken from the WHSAA's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | No; the handbook has no NIL wording, and 5.7.2 forfeits amateur status for capitalizing on athletic fame by receiving money, gifts of monetary value or merchandise |
| Who must be told | Nothing; there is no NIL process |
| School marks | No NIL rule |
| Banned categories | No NIL rule |
| The proposal | Rules 5.7.1 to 5.7.4 permitting students to benefit from NIL passed first reading 12 to 4 in April 2025 and failed on second reading on October 2, 2025; NIL was discussed at a legal meeting in April 2026 |
| Undue influence | Rules 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 bar undue influence by any person to bring a participant to a school |
| College | Rule 5.6.9 allows an athletic letter of intent with a university or college |
| Agents | Nothing in the handbook; Wyoming's athlete-agent act has no registration and requires a disclosure form to the athlete |
| Penalty | A violation of the Awards or Amateur Standards makes the student ineligible in the sport concerned (5.7.4); the awards rule allows reinstatement applications after 365 days |
What the rule says
- The operative sentence. An athlete forfeits amateur status by "Capitalizing on athletic fame by receiving money, gifts of monetary value, or merchandise" (5.7.2). The handbook has no NIL wording in either direction.
- The proposal and the vote. October 2024, the Handbook Committee was tasked with drafting an NIL policy; February 2025, the draft went out as a first-reading item; April 2025, proposed Rules 5.7.1 to 5.7.4 "permitting Wyoming high school students to benefit from NIL" passed first reading 12 to 4; October 2, 2025, "NIL Policy Proposal 5.7.1 - 5.7.4 ... MOTION FAILS: SECOND READING." April 2026 minutes record only a discussion at a legal meeting.
- Undue influence. Rules 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 bar "undue influence, by any person" to bring a participant to a school.
- College. Rule 5.6.9 allows "an athletic letter of intent with a university or college."
- A statute, unread. A March 3, 2026 press report says the governor signed a bill keeping NIL payments out of WHSAA sports; it was not read for this page, and the handbook does not reference it.
- The penalty. "Violation of either the Awards or Amateur Standards shall result in the student becoming ineligible in the sport concerned" (5.7.4); the awards rule allows reinstatement applications after 365 days.
- Re-check. June 2027, when the handbook is updated, and the next board minutes.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the WHSAA. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers WHSAA 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 Wyoming
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in Wyoming?
No, under the WHSAA Handbook as it stands. It has no NIL permission, and Rule 5.7.2 forfeits amateur status for capitalizing on athletic fame by receiving money, gifts of monetary value or merchandise.
Did Wyoming consider allowing NIL?
Yes. The board's Handbook Committee drafted a policy in late 2024; proposed Rules 5.7.1 to 5.7.4 permitting students to benefit from NIL passed first reading 12 to 4 in April 2025 and failed on second reading on October 2, 2025. The April 2026 minutes record only that NIL was discussed at a legal meeting.
Is there a Wyoming state law on high school NIL?
A March 2026 press report says the governor signed a bill keeping NIL payments out of WHSAA sports. The statute was not read for this page and the handbook does not reference it; the Wyoming Legislature's site is where to read it.
What is the penalty in Wyoming?
Under Rule 5.7.4, a violation of either the Awards or Amateur Standards makes the student ineligible in the sport concerned; the awards rule allows reinstatement applications after 365 days.
Be your own agent. Leave.