Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cleveland State University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what Cleveland State University, its conference, the state of Ohio 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 Cleveland State
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | Cleveland State University Student-Athlete Name, Image, Likeness Guidelines (PDF created 2024-01-30, file name "1.29.24", with sections marked "Effective August 1, 2024"), linked from the CSU NIL page with separate Licensing Guidelines and NIL Collective Best Practices. The guidelines cover compensated and uncompensated NIL activity, bar pay for athletic participation or achievement and NIL used as an inducement to enroll or remain enrolled, bar NIL activity that conflicts with class or official team activities, and bar paying a coach or staff member to be involved or assist with NIL work. Sanctions run from a reprimand to dismissal from the program, set by Athletics Compliance "in consultation with General Counsel and the Director of Athletics, or designee". No NIL policy was found in CSU's university-level policies | Cleveland State Athletics, NIL page and NIL Guidelines (2024) |
| How deals are disclosed | NIL Go for third-party deals of $600 or more within five business days (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2); the 2025-26 handbook words it as deals of $600 or more "required to be disclosed via NIL Go within 5 days of activity". CSU's own rule is worded four ways: the NIL page says "at least seven (7) calendar days prior to an agreement being signed or entered", through Influencer, with terms, pay, parties and type of endorsement; the 2025-26 handbook says "7 days prior to participation in any NIL activity" via Influencer; the 2024 guidelines say "seven (7) calendar days prior to the activity occurring" through Opendorse and, in another place, "within 7 days of completion of the NIL deal". A 2025-02-11 Cleveland State release says its Viking Ventures Exchange on Teamworks Influencer "will replace Opendorse". Ohio law has an athlete disclose a proposed contract to the school before entering it (R.C. 3376.06(C)) | Cleveland State Athletics, NIL page, NIL Guidelines (2024), 2025-26 Student-Athlete Handbook and Viking Ventures Exchange release (2025-02-11); NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/ohio |
| Banned categories | CSU's guidelines say an athlete "may not enter into an NIL agreement" with distilled spirits and alcohol, tobacco products (including electronic smoking devices, vapor and nicotine products), casinos or any entity that sponsors or promotes gambling, vendors associated with athletic performance enhancing drugs or controlled substances, marijuana products (including legalized or medical), medical marijuana cultivators, processors, labs or dispensaries, or adult entertainment businesses. Ohio law lets a school bar these categories (R.C. 3376.07); it is a permissive list, not a state ban. The guidelines also say a conflict is "possible" if a deal requires wearing products competitive to Nike during team activities, promoting beverages competitive to Pepsi on campus, or an agreement with a direct competitor of CSU athletics sponsors | Cleveland State Athletics, NIL Guidelines (2024); /nil/college/ohio |
| School marks and group licensing | An athlete may say they are a Cleveland State athlete in NIL work but may not use CSU athletics intellectual property, including social media tags referencing "Cleveland State University", "CSU" or "Go Vikes", in it, except two exceptions approved in advance by the athletics licensing contact: work with an existing athletics sponsor, and name-and-number merchandise (for example a shirt with "Cleveland State" on the front and a name and number on the back) "permitted with licensed vendors only", with artwork pre-approved through the Affinity Licensing portal under the Licensing Guidelines. Athletes "do NOT have the legal authority" to grant a third party rights to CSU intellectual property. The handbook says pre-participation material includes a waiver letting CSU use an athlete's NIL to promote the athletics program and university. A group licensing program: Not published | Cleveland State Athletics, Licensing Guidelines (2024), NIL Guidelines (2024) and 2025-26 Student-Athlete Handbook |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission's 2026-27 table lists Cleveland State University as a participating school, and the commission puts the 2026-27 cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school" (read 2026-10-24). A Horizon League release dated 2025-03-10, as posted by Detroit Mercy Athletics, says "The Horizon League's 11 member institutions have declared their intent to opt in" to the House settlement, and that the NCAA asked for that intent "while acknowledging that this is merely an intent, and not binding". No CSU statement on amounts or allocation was found. Ohio law lets a state university pay athletes for NIL but not from fees paid by or for students (R.C. 3376.09) | College Sports Commission; Horizon League release (2025-03-10); /nil/college/ohio |
| Collective or NIL group | Not published. CSU names no collective. Its NIL Collective Best Practices (2024) answer "Is an NIL Collective Considered a Booster Group?" with "Yes" and say collectives cannot contact a recruit about NIL deals until the recruit signs with a school and finishes high school or transfer eligibility requirements; its NIL Guidelines say CSU staff and coaches "may provide student-athlete contact information" to NIL employers "as well as the Collective". CSU's own channel is Viking Ventures, linked from its site as the "Viking Ventures NIL Marketplace" and launched with Teamworks Influencer on 2025-02-11 | Cleveland State Athletics, NIL Collective Best Practices (2024), NIL Guidelines (2024), NIL page and Viking Ventures Exchange release (2025-02-11) |
| Agents and representation | CSU's guidelines say an athlete "may hire an agent to assist you with NIL Activities" and that the agent "needs to be registered under Ohio law unless it is an immediate family member"; hiring an agent to market the athlete as a professional remains barred. CSU's agents page says athlete agents "must register with Cleveland State, the Ohio Athletic Commission, and any applicable professional sports organizations" to communicate with athletes about future professional activities. Ohio law: athlete agents register with the Ohio athletic commission (R.C. 4771.06), a member of a student athlete's immediate family is not an "athlete agent" (R.C. 4771.01(B)), and since 2026-03-20 an agent contract for NIL representation may not remain in effect past eligibility (R.C. 4771.021) | Cleveland State Athletics, NIL Guidelines (2024) and Agents and Advisors; /nil/college/ohio |
| Compliance contact | Cleveland State Athletics Compliance Office, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115; the compliance page lists Erik Mathis, Senior Associate Athletics Director, Compliance, (216) 903-5609 | Cleveland State Athletics, Compliance |
| State law | In force. Ohio's R.C. Chapter 3376 lets public and private Ohio colleges pay athletes for NIL, has an athlete disclose a proposed NIL contract to the school before entering it, keeps disclosed contracts out of public records, and since 2026-03-20 voids new NIL contracts that run past eligibility | /nil/college/ohio |
What is specific to Cleveland State
Cleveland State, a public university in downtown Cleveland with no football team, publishes its NIL rules as three linked documents rather than one policy: student-athlete guidelines, licensing guidelines and best practices for collectives. They are specific about sponsor conflicts, naming Nike gear during team activities and Pepsi on campus, and about marks: CSU allows name-and-number merchandise with its marks only through licensed vendors and advance approval, while barring tags like "Go Vikes" in NIL posts. Its NIL page asks for a report seven calendar days before signing, through Influencer, whose exchange hosts CSU's Viking Ventures marketplace; CSU's 2025-02-11 release says Viking Ventures on Teamworks Influencer "will replace Opendorse". The 2024 guidelines still name Opendorse and word the trigger differently (before the activity, or after completion), so the page quotes each.
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 Cleveland State
Does Cleveland State pay its athletes?
The College Sports Commission's 2026-27 table lists Cleveland State as participating in revenue sharing, and the commission puts the 2026-27 cap at about $21.58 million per school. Ohio law (R.C. 3376.09) lets an Ohio public university pay athletes for NIL. Cleveland State has not published amounts or how it divides the money.
How do Cleveland State athletes report NIL deals?
Twice. CSU's NIL page asks athletes to report deals to the Compliance Office through the Influencer app at least seven calendar days before an agreement is signed or entered, and NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2 and 22.2.2.2 call for reporting third-party deals of $600 or more to NIL Go within five business days. CSU's handbook and 2024 guidelines word the seven days differently. Ohio law also has athletes disclose a proposed contract before entering it.
What NIL deals are banned at Cleveland State?
CSU's guidelines bar agreements with alcohol, tobacco and vapor, gambling, performance-enhancing drug or controlled substance, marijuana and adult entertainment businesses, categories Ohio law lets a school bar. An athlete also cannot enter a deal that conflicts with a CSU contract until it is revised; the guidelines name Nike and Pepsi as possible conflicts.
Is there an NIL collective for Cleveland State?
Cleveland State does not name one. Its NIL Collective Best Practices treat collectives as booster groups and say they cannot contact recruits about NIL deals until the recruit signs and finishes high school or transfer requirements. CSU's own marketplace is Viking Ventures on Teamworks Influencer.
Do NIL agents have to be registered to work with Cleveland State athletes?
CSU's guidelines say an NIL agent "needs to be registered under Ohio law unless it is an immediate family member", and Ohio's agent law does not count immediate family as athlete agents. Ohio registers athlete agents through the Ohio athletic commission, and since 2026-03-20 an agent contract for NIL work may not run past the athlete's eligibility.
Be your own agent. Leave.
