Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cornell University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what Cornell University, 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 Cornell
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | Cornell Athletics' "Name, Image and Likeness (NIL)" policy page on its compliance site (undated; its web address carries 2022) says athletes may use their NIL commercially "subject to New York State laws and regulations (New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act, Section 6438-C) and institutional policy". The 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook says "We will update Cornell's NIL Policy on the compliance website whenever there is a change to New York State law or NCAA, College Sport Commission, or Ivy League rules that affects them" | Cornell Athletics, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL); Cornell Athletics, 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook |
| 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). Cornell discloses earlier: athletes disclose "any NIL opportunity to the institution prior to entering into a written or verbal contract or otherwise participating in NIL activity". The policy page names a Name, Image, and Likeness Disclosure Form in ARMS; the 2026-27 handbook names "an NIL Disclosure in INFLCR for any NIL deal" and says deals of $600 or more also go "through NIL Go prior to, or within 5 days, of agreeing to the deal." Deals made on the Big Red Exchange generate a reporting form "submitted to the university for approval." Cornell has not published the Ivy League $2,000 review that Brown, Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale describe in their policies | Cornell Athletics, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook; Cornell Athletics, Big Red Exchange release (2026-04-15); NCAA 2026-27 Division I Manual |
| Banned categories | New York's statute lists none, but it lets a college assert a conflict where a deal would "cause financial loss or reputational damage". Cornell applies that ground with examples: "adult entertainment, alcohol, casinos, gambling, sports wagering, tobacco, electronic smoking products, cannabis, prescription pharmaceuticals, controlled dangerous substances, weapons, firearms, ammunition, NCAA banned substances, or any related product". Cornell also says it generally will not approve contracts that conflict with a team or institutional sponsorship, violate the Student Code of Conduct, require missing team activities or classes, or require displaying a sponsor during official team activities or at any time for a competitor of a Cornell sponsor | Cornell Athletics, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), Conditions of Activity; /nil/college/new-york |
| School marks and group licensing | No use of Cornell trademarks, logos or other intellectual property in an NIL opportunity "UNLESS specific advance approval is obtained" under Cornell's Policy on Use of Name and Marks; the policy's example of a violation is "wearing a Cornell branded hat in a photo you took that promotes a business in a social media post." Athletes may use photos or videos with Cornell marks "for their personal brand building on social media" (the example is a video in uniform "that makes no reference to a business"), may state that they play "[sport] at Cornell University", and may buy, autograph and sell officially licensed memorabilia, but may not sell items provided by Cornell Athletics or use Cornell housing, facilities or equipment for NIL. Group licensing: Not published | Cornell Athletics, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), Additional Conditions Specific to Use of Cornell Marks, Name and Facilities |
| Revenue sharing | Cornell does not appear on the College Sports Commission's 2026-27 participating-schools list (read 2026-10-23), which puts the cap for participating schools at approximately $21.58 million per school. No Cornell statement on revenue sharing was found on its athletics site, and no Ivy League statement on revenue sharing was found on ivyleague.com. The league describes need-based aid "without granting athletic scholarships" | College Sports Commission, Participating Schools and Revenue Sharing; Ivy League, A League Is Born |
| Collective or NIL group | Not published. No Cornell document names a collective. Cornell's official marketplace is the Big Red Exchange, launched 2026-04-15 with Teamworks Influencer, "Free to both student-athletes and external organizations", where businesses search a database of Cornell athletes and pay them in the platform. Cornell posts the Ivy League's "NIL Guidance Document for Ivy League Supporters/Boosters" (last updated 2022-08-17), which says boosters, or "NIL entities comprised of boosters" such as "Collectives", "may not make NIL offers contingent upon enrollment at a particular institution (neither initial nor transfer)" | Cornell Athletics, Big Red Exchange release (2026-04-15); Ivy League, NIL Guidance Document for Ivy League Supporters/Boosters (2022-08-17), posted by Cornell Athletics |
| Agents and representation | Cornell's policy: "Per New York State law, professional representation obtained by a student-athlete shall be from persons registered and/or licensed by the state", meaning athlete agents registered under General Business Law article 39-E and attorneys licensed under Judiciary Law article 15; and "It is impermissible for a student-athlete to be represented by an agent for the purpose of marketing athletics ability or reputation for purposes of participation in professional sport." New York's agent act also has the agent and the athlete notify the athletic director within 72 hours and gives a five-day right to cancel | Cornell Athletics, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), Professional Representation; /nil/college/new-york |
| Compliance contact | Cornell Athletics Compliance Office, on the athletics compliance site and the Athletics Compliance Staff directory; possible NCAA or Ivy League violations can also be reported to the Cornell University Compliance and Ethics Hotline, 1-866-293-3077 | Cornell Athletics, Compliance |
| State law | In force. New York's Education Law § 6438-c (since 2023-01-01) lets college athletes earn from NIL, has them disclose each contract to the college before signing, and limits representation to registered agents and New York lawyers | /nil/college/new-york |
What is specific to Cornell
Cornell's NIL policy cites New York's NIL statute ground by ground. Each ground on which Cornell says it will generally not approve a contract carries its citation to § 6438-c, from conflicts with team sponsors to deals that would "cause financial loss or reputational damage", and Cornell turns that last ground into a category list that runs from casinos and cannabis to prescription pharmaceuticals and ammunition. Its rules on marks come with examples: a Cornell hat in a promotional photo needs advance approval, a game video with no business tie-in does not. Cornell's compliance site counts 37 varsity sports, and in April 2026 it opened the Big Red Exchange, a free Teamworks Influencer marketplace whose deals generate a reporting form for the university's approval. Earlier, in 2021, Cornell football piloted NIL education with TeamAltemus and Anomaly Sports built on "Decision-Making, Due Diligence, Money and Contracts". The Ivy League guide at /be-your-own-agent/ivy-league compares Cornell's rules with the other seven schools'.
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 Cornell
Does Cornell pay its athletes?
Cornell is not on the College Sports Commission's 2026-27 list of schools sharing revenue with athletes, and no Cornell statement on revenue sharing was found. The Ivy League describes need-based financial aid "without granting athletic scholarships". Cornell athletes can be paid by outside businesses for NIL work, including through the Big Red Exchange.
How do Cornell athletes report NIL deals?
Before agreeing to them. Cornell's policy requires disclosure "prior to entering into a written or verbal contract or otherwise participating in NIL activity", which matches New York's rule of disclosure before signing. The 2026-27 handbook names INFLCR for every deal and NIL Go for deals of $600 or more, "prior to, or within 5 days, of agreeing to the deal"; NCAA Bylaw 22.2.2.2 sets five business days.
What NIL deals will Cornell not approve?
Cornell says it will generally not approve contracts that conflict with team or institutional sponsorships, violate the Student Code of Conduct, would cause financial loss or reputational damage (examples include alcohol, casinos, gambling, sports wagering, tobacco, cannabis, weapons, firearms and NCAA banned substances), require missing team activities or classes, or require displaying a sponsor during team activities. Cornell may choose to exempt a contract from an asserted conflict.
Can Cornell athletes wear Cornell gear in NIL posts?
Not without advance approval under Cornell's Policy on Use of Name and Marks; the policy's own example of a violation is a Cornell hat in a photo promoting a business. Posting a game video in uniform with no business reference is allowed, and athletes may describe themselves as "a member of the [sport] at Cornell University".
What is the Big Red Exchange?
Cornell Athletics' official NIL marketplace, launched 2026-04-15 with Teamworks Influencer and free to athletes and businesses. Businesses search Cornell athletes, message them, agree a deal and pay through the platform, which generates a reporting form "compliant with New York State law and Cornell Athletics' NIL guidelines" for the university's approval and issues 1099 tax forms.
Does an NIL agent need to be registered to represent a Cornell athlete?
Yes, under Cornell's policy and New York law: athlete agents registered under General Business Law article 39-E, or lawyers licensed in New York. Cornell's policy adds: "It is impermissible for a student-athlete to be represented by an agent for the purpose of marketing athletics ability or reputation for purposes of participation in professional sport." The Ivy League guide at /be-your-own-agent/ivy-league covers the league-wide rules.
Be your own agent. Leave.
