Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, its conference, the state of New York and the NCAA have published, linked under Sources and read on October 23, 2026. "Not published" means the school has not published it.
The rules at Buffalo
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | UB's "Name, Image, and Likeness Activities Policy (Interim Revision)" in the university policy library (established 2024-02-06, last updated 2025-07-01) carries the note "Policy update pending: Enabling the university to arrange for NIL compensation to student-athletes consistent with the House Settlement". UB Athletics also publishes its "Name, Image and Likeness Pillars" (July 2025 Post House Updates) and the fall 2026 compliance group meeting slides | UB Policy Library, NIL Activities Policy (2025-07-01); UB Athletics, NIL Pillars (July 2025) and Fall 2026 compliance meeting |
| How deals are disclosed | Campus policy: disclose any NIL activity in the INFLCR app "24 hours prior to entering into a written or verbal contract or participating", and 72 hours prior when UB marks are used. Pillars (July 2025): "All NIL ventures must be disclosed and preapproved" in UB's monitoring software, approval takes three to five business days, and transactions over $600 go to NIL Go. Fall 2026 slides: deals over $600 go to NIL Go "for review and approval BEFORE accepting payment". NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2 and 22.2.2.2 set the $600 and five-business-day rule, and New York law has athletes disclose a contract to the college "in advance of executing it" (§ 6438-c(6)(b)) | UB Policy Library, NIL Activities Policy; UB Athletics, NIL Pillars (July 2025) and Fall 2026 compliance meeting; NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/new-york |
| Banned categories | UB's campus policy and Pillars bar NIL activity tied to gambling in any format (casinos, racinos, off-track betting, daily fantasy, online sports wagering); cannabis, street or recreational drugs and NCAA banned substances; tobacco, smokeless tobacco and vaping; alcohol sales or use, including nightclubs and bars; adult entertainment; activity that appears to make UB endorse a company, candidate or policy position; and activity that "can reasonably be judged to cause financial loss or reputational damage". Sponsor conflicts listed in the Pillars: competitors of Nike, New Era and Coca-Cola. New York's statute lists no categories | UB Policy Library, NIL Activities Policy; UB Athletics, NIL Pillars (July 2025); /nil/college/new-york |
| School marks and group licensing | Campus policy: any use of UB marks, colors or imagery needs prior approval from Trademarks and Licensing through the Trademark Use Request Process, and "The current university royalty rate will be applied" to co-branded products. Group licensing: UB and The Brandr Group set up a voluntary group licensing program covering all 16 varsity sports (2024-06-10), with co-branded merchandise sold through Athlete's Thread and Campus Ink, which the Built in Buffalo page calls the Buffalo NIL Store (2024-08-23). UB announced a direct partnership with Athlete's Thread on 2025-10-28, and its July 2026 compliance slides list "OneTeam" group licensing with apparel sales through Athletes Thread and Campus Ink | UB Policy Library, NIL Activities Policy; UB Athletics, Brandr Group releases (2024-06-10, 2024-08-23), Built in Buffalo NIL, Athlete's Thread partnership (2025-10-28) and Fall 2026 compliance meeting |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission puts the 2026-27 cap at approximately $21.58 million per school and lists the University at Buffalo as participating in 2026-27 (read 2026-10-23). UB announced its intent to opt in on 2025-03-27. Its fall 2026 slides say UB "provides student athletes with revenue share funding, at the discretion of the Head Coach and Athletic Director", that distributions are set out in the athlete's contract on a separate disbursement schedule, and that academic misconduct can cost "access to revenue share". Athletic director Mark Alnutt wrote on 2025-12-02 that "Growing our resources in the revenue share and NIL space" is a goal of the Bulls Championship Fund. No total or division is published | College Sports Commission; UB Athletics, opt-in announcement (2025-03-27), From the Desk of AD Mark Alnutt (2025-12-02) and Fall 2026 compliance meeting |
| Collective or NIL group | Nickel City Collective. A UB Athletics release of 2024-04-25 announced its launch by Blueprint Sports as "an NIL Collective supporting all University at Buffalo student-athletes", with a statement from the athletic director and a named board. Its website (nickelcitynil.com) did not respond on 2026-10-23, and its current status was not confirmed. UB also runs the Built in Buffalo NIL Exchange (Teamworks Influencer, 2024) | UB Athletics, Nickel City Collective release (2024-04-25) and Built in Buffalo NIL Exchange (2024-05-22) |
| Agents and representation | Pillars: athletes may use agents, advisors and attorneys for NIL; "Agents must be licensed and registered in New York State"; they may not market the athlete's athletic ability or professional career. Campus policy: athletes pay fair market value and document the advisor in the NIL disclosure. New York requires representation by agents registered under General Business Law article 39-E or licensed New York attorneys (§ 6438-c(4)). UB's July 2026 football parent slides call NIL and marketing agents "permissible and very strongly encouraged for athletes engaging in NIL deals and signing revenue share contracts" | UB Athletics, NIL Pillars (July 2025) and Football Parent NCAA Compliance meeting (2026-07-23); UB Policy Library, NIL Activities Policy; /nil/college/new-york |
| Compliance contact | UB Athletics Compliance Office. Kelly Cruttenden, Senior Associate AD/Compliance, kc29@buffalo.edu, 716-645-7978; Erik Silis, Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and NIL primary contact, eriksili@buffalo.edu, 716-645-3998 | UB Athletics, Staff Directory (read 2026-10-23); Fall 2026 compliance meeting |
| State law | In force. N.Y. Educ. Law § 6438-c lets college athletes earn NIL pay, has each contract disclosed to the college before it is signed, lets the college assert conflicts on listed grounds, and bars the NCAA and conferences from penalizing colleges over NIL | /nil/college/new-york |
What is specific to Buffalo
Built in Buffalo is UB's umbrella for NIL: the Built in Buffalo NIL Exchange where registered businesses can message, sign and pay athletes; two licensed merchandise stores; a voluntary group licensing program with The Brandr Group; and, in 2024, the launch of the Nickel City Collective with the athletic director's endorsement. UB's rules are spread across a campus policy that still says state and university resources "may not be used" in athletes' NIL activity and that an update is "pending" to let UB arrange NIL pay, the athletics Pillars, and a fall 2026 briefing that describes revenue share contracts. The three set different disclosure clocks: 24 hours before (72 with UB marks), preapproval in three to five business days, and NIL Go approval before payment. UB's Pillars also say an athlete becomes ineligible if a booster promised future NIL opportunities during recruiting.
How Leave fits
In Leave, every deal thread carries a rules summary for the athlete's state and level, and keeps the contract, its dates and the disclosure deadline that applies. It is a summary, not a ruling; the school and the law decide. Leave is software, not an agent, and takes 0% of any deal. You decide, you send.
Questions about NIL at Buffalo
Does Buffalo pay its athletes?
UB Athletics announced on 2025-03-27 that it would opt into revenue sharing, and the College Sports Commission lists UB for 2026-27, with a cap of approximately $21.58 million per school. UB's fall 2026 compliance slides say revenue share funding is at the discretion of the head coach and athletic director and set out in each athlete's contract. UB has not published amounts.
How do UB Bulls athletes report NIL deals?
UB's documents differ. The campus policy asks for disclosure in the INFLCR app 24 hours before signing or performing (72 hours when UB marks are used), the July 2025 Pillars ask for preapproval, and the fall 2026 slides send deals over $600 to NIL Go for approval before payment. New York law requires disclosure to the college before the contract is signed.
What NIL collective works with the University at Buffalo?
UB Athletics announced the Nickel City Collective, run by Blueprint Sports, on 2024-04-25 as a collective for all UB athletes. Its website did not respond on 2026-10-23, so its current status was not confirmed. UB also runs the Built in Buffalo NIL Exchange for businesses.
Can UB athletes sell jerseys with their name on them?
UB set up a voluntary group licensing program with The Brandr Group in 2024, and its July 2026 compliance slides list "OneTeam" group licensing with licensed apparel sold through Athletes Thread and Campus Ink (the Buffalo NIL Store). Any other use of UB marks needs Trademarks and Licensing approval, and the university royalty rate applies to co-branded products.
Does New York law apply to UB athletes' NIL deals?
Yes. Education Law § 6438-c has athletes disclose each contract to the college before signing it, lets the college assert conflicts such as clashes with its sponsors, and requires representatives to be registered athlete agents or licensed New York attorneys.
Be your own agent. Leave.
