Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Delaware State University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what Delaware State University, its conference, the state of Delaware 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 Delaware State
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | Not published. DSU's "Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL)" page (in the athletics menu, read 2026-10-23) describes Hornet302Nation and answers general NIL questions, including the statement that "no federal legislation or specific NCAA NIL rules have been established"; it sets no DSU rules. The Compliance page is addressed mainly to boosters, and the Student-Athlete Code of Conduct (posted 2024-07-25) does not mention NIL | Delaware State Athletics, NIL page, Compliance Central and Code of Conduct (2024-07-25) |
| How deals are disclosed | NCAA: third-party deals of $600 or more are reported to NIL Go within five business days (Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). No Delaware statute requires disclosing an NIL deal to the school; if an athlete signs an agency contract, the agent and the athlete each notify the athletic director within 72 hours or before the next scheduled event (24 Del. C. § 5410). DSU's own disclosure process: Not published | NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/delaware |
| Banned categories | Not addressed by Delaware statute. DSU's own list: Not published | /nil/college/delaware |
| School marks and group licensing | Not published. No DSU page on use of university marks in NIL activity or on group licensing was found on the athletics site | Delaware State Athletics (read 2026-10-23) |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission lists Delaware State University (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) as participating in 2026-27 and puts the cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school" (read 2026-10-23). Not published by DSU: no DSU statement on revenue sharing was found. No Delaware statute allows or bars school pay | College Sports Commission, Participating Schools and Revenue Sharing; /nil/college/delaware |
| Collective or NIL group | Hornet302Nation. DSU announced on 2024-06-01 "the launch of their very own NIL Collective, Hornet302Nation", and a 2024-12-12 Hornet302Nation release posted on DSU's athletics site announced its official launch, "Led by a distinguished board of DSU Athletics alumni and long-time supporters", with ways to give that include corporate partnerships, the Up50 campaign and the Athletics Transformation Project for the Fieldhouse. DSU's NIL page, linked in the athletics site menu, still carries its mission statement and goals (read 2026-10-23). Separately, DSU's 2024-01-09 release launched the Opendorse "Hornet Marketplace" for all athletes; the Opendorse page is live as "The Official Delaware State Hornets Marketplace for NIL Deals" | Delaware State Athletics, releases (2024-01-09, 2024-06-01, 2024-12-12) and NIL page; Opendorse |
| Agents and representation | Not published by DSU. Delaware law: anyone acting as an athlete agent, including one who negotiates an NIL agreement, registers with the Secretary of the Department of State; the contract carries a boldface warning, the agent and athlete notify the athletic director within 72 hours, and the athlete may cancel within 14 days (24 Del. C. §§ 5402, 5404, 5409 to 5411) | /nil/college/delaware |
| Compliance contact | Delaware State Athletics, Office of Athletics Compliance; the staff directory's Compliance group lists Mark Bennett, Deputy AD for Athletic Governance, and Edward Egerton III, Associate Athletic Director for Compliance (read 2026-10-23). The Compliance page says "For More Information, call 302-857-7047" | Delaware State Athletics, Staff Directory and Compliance Central |
| State law | Delaware has no general college NIL statute; since 2023-07-01 its Revised Uniform Athlete Agents Act (24 Del. C. ch. 54) covers agents who negotiate NIL agreements, and its FOIA excludes most Delaware State University activities from public records. Narrow law | /nil/college/delaware |
What is specific to Delaware State
Delaware State is a public historically Black university in Dover whose athletics department announced its own NIL collective. Its June 2024 announcement presented Hornet302Nation as DSU's "very own NIL Collective", with a mission statement saying it "operates within the NCAA and University guidelines as a model for HBCUs in capitalizing on NIL opportunities", and the December 2024 launch release, posted on DSU's athletics site, named a board of DSU Athletics alumni and supporters and quoted two DSU athletics administrators. Delaware's open-records law also treats DSU differently from most public bodies: 29 Del. C. § 10002(l) says "public record" does not include activities of Delaware State University, except documents relating to the expenditure of public funds and full Board of Trustees meetings. The MEAC says DSU is one of four full members in women's flag football, which the conference begins in 2026-27 with six 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 Delaware State
Does Delaware State pay its athletes?
Delaware State is on the College Sports Commission's list of schools in revenue sharing for 2026-27, when the cap is approximately $21.58 million per school. DSU has published no amount or plan of its own, and no Delaware statute addresses schools paying athletes.
What NIL collective works with Delaware State athletes?
Hornet302Nation. DSU's athletics department announced it in June 2024 as DSU's own NIL collective, and a December 2024 release on DSU's site described a board of DSU Athletics alumni and supporters leading it. DSU's NIL page still carries its mission statement. DSU's January 2024 release also launched an Opendorse marketplace for all DSU athletes called the Hornet Marketplace.
How do Delaware State athletes report NIL deals?
NCAA rules have third-party deals of $600 or more reported to NIL Go within five business days. Delaware has no law requiring disclosure of an NIL deal to the school, and DSU has not posted a disclosure process of its own. Signing with an agent triggers a 72-hour notice to the athletic director under 24 Del. C. § 5410.
Are Delaware State athletes' NIL deals public records?
Delaware's FOIA says "public record" does not include activities of Delaware State University, except documents relating to the expenditure of public funds and full Board of Trustees meetings (29 Del. C. § 10002(l)). Whether a given record of payments to athletes involves public funds is not settled by statute.
Does an NIL agent need to register to represent a Delaware State athlete?
Yes under Delaware law. Since 2023-07-01 an agency contract includes one to negotiate an NIL agreement, and an athlete agent registers with the Secretary of the Department of State before acting (24 Del. C. §§ 5402, 5404). The athlete may cancel within 14 days.
Be your own agent. Leave.
