Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, its conference, the state of California and the NCAA have published, linked under Sources and read on October 24, 2026. "Not published" means the school has not published it.
The rules at Cal Poly
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | "Cal Poly Athletics Name, Image and Likeness Policy" (five pages, marked "Cal Poly Interim Name, Image and Likeness Policy"; PDF created 2021-11-09), linked from the athletics Name, Image and Likeness page. It bars recruiting inducements, pay for "athletic performance or attendance at Cal Poly", pay "beyond fair market value", NIL activity during official team activities, and agreements that conflict with "an existing Cal Poly agreement (defined as "team contract" under California law)"; athletes "may request copies of Cal Poly team contracts." It says Cal Poly and its staff may not be involved in "the development, operation, or promotion" of an athlete's NIL activities. The 2024-25 Student-Athlete Handbook refers athletes to this policy. The compliance page's "Cal Poly Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) Policy (PDF)" link points back to the compliance page itself (2026-10-24). No California State University system NIL policy was found | Cal Poly Athletics, NIL Policy (2021), Name, Image and Likeness page, Compliance page and 2024-25 Student-Athlete Handbook |
| How deals are disclosed | NCAA: third-party deals of $600 or more go to NIL Go within five business days (Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). Cal Poly's policy: "Student-athletes must disclose all NIL agreements to the Cal Poly compliance office by submitting the information in Cal Poly's third party software provider, COMPASS, within seven days of signing any NIL agreement." Its purpose is to check NCAA rules, state law and conflicts with Cal Poly contracts, and "It is not an approval process." Athletes who fail to disclose "may face potential loss of their status as an athlete." The NIL page lists COMPASS as the "Cal Poly NIL student-athlete disclosure platform." California law requires each NIL contract to be disclosed to an official the school designates (Educ. Code § 67456(e)(2)) | Cal Poly Athletics, NIL Policy (2021) and Name, Image and Likeness page; NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/california |
| Banned categories | California's statute lists none. Under "NIL Activities that Conflict with NCAA rules", Cal Poly "strongly recommends that student-athletes do not engage in NIL activities that conflict with NCAA rules, such as sports wagering, tobacco, athletic performance-enhancing drugs, and other banned substances." The policy also bars NIL activity that "Violates the Cal Poly Student Code of Conduct or conflicts with the Student-Athlete Handbook" | Cal Poly Athletics, NIL Policy (2021); /nil/college/california |
| School marks and group licensing | Athletes may use "Cal Poly marks and logos, green and gold color scheme, team or player photographs and videos, or aspects of the uniform" only if those rights are "secured through a written agreement granting specific rights from Cal Poly or written permission from Cal Poly", and Cal Poly "will not permit student-athletes to receive preferential or lower-than-cost use" of its name, marks or facilities. Facilities are rented under existing campus policies and rates through Conference & Event Planning. The policy sends retail licensing to CLC Learfield IMG College. A group licensing program is not described | Cal Poly Athletics, NIL Policy (2021) |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission lists California Polytechnic State University as participating in 2026-27 and puts the cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school" (read 2026-10-24). Cal Poly's own statements are about costs to the university, not pay to athletes: President Jeffrey D. Armstrong's letter of 2025-03-07, posted by Cal Poly Athletics, said the House settlement "will have a significant financial impact" and estimated "a loss of at least $450,000 per year for our programs", and his update of 2025-06-16 said the settlement "had an impact that weighed heavily" in not reinstating swimming and diving. On 2025-05-19 Cal Poly Athletics launched the Players Trust, donor funding for "scholarships, Alston awards, and incentive-based scholarship supplements" by sport. No Cal Poly revenue-sharing total or split by sport is published | College Sports Commission; President Armstrong's letters (2025-03-07, 2025-06-16) and Players Trust release (2025-05-19), Cal Poly Athletics |
| Collective or NIL group | Not published. Cal Poly's athletics site names no collective. It links the RideHigh Exchange, an NIL marketplace on INFLCR. On 2026-09-17 Cal Poly Athletics launched The Stampede, "the official philanthropic giving program" and "a unified home for all charitable giving to Cal Poly Athletics"; its site calls it "the official athletic fundraising organization of Cal Poly Athletics". The 2025 Players Trust release described donor support for scholarships and Alston awards; the Players Trust web page it linked did not load on 2026-10-24 | Cal Poly Athletics, site navigation, Players Trust release (2025-05-19) and Stampede release (2026-09-17); The Stampede |
| Agents and representation | The policy says "Professional advisors must be licensed in the state of California", athlete agents must comply with the federal Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act, an agent may represent a current athlete "only with the student-athlete's NIL pursuits", and Cal Poly staff may not serve as or help choose a provider. It recommends that any agency's use of the athlete's NIL to promote the agency be "clearly defined" in the agreement. State law: § 67456(c)(2) says representation must come from persons licensed by the state, with athlete agents under the Miller-Ayala Athlete Agents Act, and that Act has an athlete agent file information with the Secretary of State before doing business (Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 18895.2, 18896) | Cal Poly Athletics, NIL Policy (2021); /nil/college/california |
| Compliance contact | Cal Poly Athletics Compliance Office (Compliance page), which lists Shelby Stueve, Senior Associate Athletic Director, Compliance & Senior Woman Administrator | Cal Poly Athletics, Compliance |
| State law | California Education Code § 67456 (Fair Pay to Play Act), in force since 2021-09-01, protects NIL pay and representation, requires each NIL contract to be disclosed to the school and lists no banned categories; in force | /nil/college/california |
What is specific to Cal Poly
Cal Poly's written NIL rules stopped in 2021 while the money around them moved. The policy it links still calls itself interim, cites the NCAA interim policy and SEVP guidance that had "yet to release updated guidance", and names a Learfield general manager as the contact for logo use. The House-era decisions came from the president: President Jeffrey D. Armstrong's budget letter of 2025-03-07, posted by Cal Poly Athletics, ended men's and women's swimming and diving, and his update of 2025-06-16 said the fundraising effort to reinstate them "has fallen well short of the goal" and that "the significant and unequitable changes in the NCAA and the House settlement" had "an impact that weighed heavily in this decision." In May 2025 the department started the Players Trust so donors could fund scholarships, Alston awards and scholarship supplements sport by sport, with a baseball campaign after the settlement allowed up to 34 baseball scholarships, and in September 2026 it launched The Stampede as the single home for charitable gifts. Under Director of Athletics Carter Henderson, Cal Poly won the Big West Commissioner's Cup in 2026 with 11 conference titles. Football plays FCS in the Big Sky. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a separate university from Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly Humboldt.
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 Cal Poly
Does Cal Poly pay its athletes?
The College Sports Commission lists Cal Poly as a revenue-sharing school for 2026-27, with a cap of approximately $21.58 million per school. Cal Poly has not published how much it pays or how the money is split. Its 2025 Players Trust release described donor money for scholarships, Alston awards and incentive-based scholarship supplements, and since 2026-09-17 The Stampede is its program for charitable gifts to athletics.
How do Cal Poly athletes report NIL deals?
Cal Poly's policy says athletes disclose all NIL agreements to the compliance office through COMPASS within seven days of signing, and that this "is not an approval process." Separately, NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2 and 22.2.2.2 require third-party deals of $600 or more to be reported in NIL Go within five business days.
Is Cal Poly's NIL policy up to date?
The policy Cal Poly Athletics links is the 2021 interim policy (PDF created 2021-11-09), written before NIL Go, the College Sports Commission and revenue sharing. The compliance page's own NIL policy link points back to the compliance page. Cal Poly has not posted a newer version on its athletics site as of 2026-10-24.
Why did Cal Poly cut swimming and diving?
President Jeffrey D. Armstrong's letter of 2025-03-07 said the programs were discontinued immediately because "the financial realities made the decision unavoidable", and that the House settlement would mean "a loss of at least $450,000 per year for our programs" (a cost to the university, not a payment to athletes). It said affected athletes' scholarships would be honored or they could enter the transfer portal, and that no other sports were at risk at that time. His update of 2025-06-16 said fundraising to reinstate the programs fell short and the university was unable to reinstate them.
Does the California State University system set NIL rules for Cal Poly?
No systemwide CSU NIL policy was found. An information item to the CSU Board of Trustees' Committee on Educational Policy (Agenda Item 6, January 27-29, 2025) says "The CSU's varied and unique intercollegiate athletics programs are managed at the campus level." The recommendations of the CSU Ad Hoc Intercollegiate Athletics Task Force, including NIL education and systemwide rules for in-house collectives, were called "preliminary" in the committee's minutes of 2025-03-25. Cal Poly's own policy and California's § 67456 apply.
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