Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by DePaul University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what DePaul University, its conference, the state of Illinois and the NCAA have published, linked under Sources and read on October 22, 2026. "Not published" means the school has not published it.
The rules at DePaul
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | "DePaul Athletics NIL Policy", marked "LAST REVISED: 01/12/2025", posted 2025-03-19 and linked from the compliance page ("Read the full NIL policy"). It describes DePaul's role as providing "structure, support, resources, and information", lets staff identify and facilitate deals as long as the athlete "does not receive compensation from DePaul University for use of their NIL" and keeps "independent authority over the NIL agreement", and sets out each rule with "Allowed" and "Prohibited" examples. It predates the House settlement and NIL Go, and its text bars staff from entering "any revenue-sharing agreement with a student-athlete(s) on behalf of the university". The 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook (posted 2026-09-09) points to "DePaul Athletics NIL policy for further details" | DePaul Athletics, NIL Policy (rev. 2025-01-12), Compliance page and 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). DePaul's policy: athletes disclose "any transaction in which they receive compensation (cash, in-kind, or otherwise)" through Influencer; a deal over $500 is put in a written contract and disclosed "prior to its execution and before any compensation is provided"; a deal of $500 or less is still disclosed. An athlete who has not disclosed within 30 days, or whose contract has a nondisclosure clause that blocks disclosure to DePaul, does not receive institutional NIL assistance. The department "will neither formally approve nor reject" deals. Illinois law has athletes disclose all deals as the school prescribes | DePaul Athletics, NIL Policy (rev. 2025-01-12); NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/illinois |
| Banned categories | Illinois law (110 ILCS 190/20(i)) bars deals for gambling, sports betting, controlled substances, cannabis, tobacco or alcohol, nicotine products, performance-enhancing supplements and adult entertainment, and lets schools bar deals inconsistent with their values. DePaul's policy repeats that list "in accordance with Illinois law", adds any brand that "at DePaul's sole discretion, may reasonably be considered inconsistent with the mission, reputation, or policies of DePaul University", and bars "bars, taverns, liquor stores or other categories that directly promote alcohol consumption". Its examples allow endorsing a sports media segment of a company that also profits from betting and prohibit endorsing a business that sells CBD products | DePaul Athletics, NIL Policy (rev. 2025-01-12); /nil/college/illinois |
| School marks and group licensing | Athletes may not "directly reference DePaul University, DePaul Athletics, or the Blue Demons" in NIL activity without prior written permission, though accurate affiliation in social media bios is "acceptable and encouraged". DePaul or BIG EAST marks need prior written approval from DePaul's licensing office, the BIG EAST and/or University Marketing Communications. Uniform numbers count as the athlete's NIL. DePaul's licensing page offers an NIL license letting licensees pair DePaul marks with current athletes, at a 14% royalty to DePaul. DePaul launched group licensing with The Brandr Group on 2022-01-11; its licensing page now says "DePaul works with One Team Partners to administer a group licensing program", which athletes opt into, and lists the DePaul NIL Store (Campus Ink) and Athlete's Thread as the main retailers | DePaul Athletics, NIL Policy (rev. 2025-01-12), Merchandise and Licensing page, Brandr Group release (2022-01-11) and NIL page |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission lists DePaul as participating in 2026-27 and puts the cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school". DePaul's NIL page says the Fund for Men's Basketball Excellence, the Doug Bruno Fund for Women's Basketball Excellence and the Olympic Sports Excellence Fund "will directly support NIL and permissive revenue sharing", and its Funds for Basketball Excellence page says those gifts "directly support areas now permitted under NCAA guidelines, including NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) and revenue sharing". Athletic Director DeWayne Peevy's update of 2025-06-06 on the House settlement says institutions "may directly compensate student-athletes for their NIL rights, up to a national cap" and that donor gifts to the basketball excellence funds support "student-athlete recruitment, retention, financial aid, and NIL revenue sharing". No amount or allocation is published | College Sports Commission; DePaul Athletics, NIL page, Funds for Basketball Excellence and Update on House vs. NCAA (2025-06-06) |
| Collective or NIL group | DePaul's NIL page says "NIL Collectives are independent of DePaul University", and Athletic Director DeWayne Peevy wrote on 2025-06-06, after the House settlement was approved, that "our NIL efforts will be managed internally, rather than through third-party collectives". Two collectives are named in earlier DePaul documents: Under the L, which Peevy's open letter of 2023-03-07 calls "a third-party collective supporting DePaul student-athletes" and which DePaul's giving diagram of 2024-02-11 lists at UnderTheL.org; and Blue Grit Collective, named on a charitable pledge card for gifts through the BPS Foundation posted 2024-02-10. Their status on 2026-10-22 was not confirmed from a primary source. DePaul's own marketplace is the LEGACY Exchange on INFLCR (2022) | DePaul Athletics, Update on House vs. NCAA (2025-06-06), Open Letter from DeWayne Peevy (2023-03-07), NIL giving diagram (2024-02-11), Blue Grit Collective pledge card (2024-02-10) and NIL page |
| Agents and representation | DePaul's policy: NIL representation "will not negatively affect a student-athlete's eligibility", and athletes "may seek representation only to help with NIL arrangements and not to assist with professional sports aspirations"; it points to the federal Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act. The 2026-27 handbook says athletes "may retain the services of an agent for representation related to NIL and voice at any time". DePaul's agents page says anyone seeking to represent a current athlete must "Register with DePaul and be approved before any proposed contact can be made". Illinois law: no state agent registration (repealed in 2017); an agent or lawyer agreement is given to the school with written notice | DePaul Athletics, NIL Policy, Agents page and 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook; /nil/college/illinois |
| Compliance contact | DePaul Athletics NCAA Compliance; the compliance page lists the Senior Associate Athletics Director for NCAA Compliance at fways@depaul.edu, the address the NIL page also links. NIL questions go to the Associate Athletics Director, NIL Innovation and Strategy (bsible@depaul.edu) | DePaul Athletics, Compliance page, NIL page and 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook |
| State law | In force. Illinois' Student-Athlete Endorsement Rights Act (110 ILCS 190) lets athletes earn NIL pay, has them disclose deals to the school as it prescribes, bars listed categories, and since 2025 lets schools pay athletes where a settlement or rule allows | /nil/college/illinois |
What is specific to DePaul
DePaul frames NIL as education. Its LEGACY program, launched 2021-06-18 with DePaul's Driehaus College of Business, College of Communication and Coleman Entrepreneurship Center, gives athletes coursework and mentoring on branding, financial literacy and entrepreneurship, and the NIL page says "At DePaul, NIL is a vehicle to teach life skills", naming taxes, brand building, saving and money management. Its NIL policy is written as a casebook, pairing each rule with an "Allowed" and a "Prohibited" example, from a $350 appearance disclosed the following Monday to a soccer camp held on Wish Field without renting it. In 2026 DePaul added JABA, an AI platform that matches athletes with brands by audience data (announced 2026-04-14), and it hosted the BIG EAST's first Revenue Summit at Wrigley Field on July 28 and 29, 2026.
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 DePaul
Does DePaul pay its athletes?
DePaul is on the College Sports Commission's list of schools sharing revenue in 2026-27, with a cap of about $21.58 million per school. DePaul's NIL page says its basketball and Olympic sports excellence funds "will directly support NIL and permissive revenue sharing", and Athletic Director DeWayne Peevy wrote on 2025-06-06 that institutions "may directly compensate student-athletes for their NIL rights, up to a national cap". DePaul has not published amounts or how it divides the money.
How do DePaul athletes report NIL deals?
DePaul's policy has athletes disclose every compensated deal through the Influencer app, with deals over $500 put in writing and disclosed before signing and before payment. NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2 and 22.2.2.2 separately call for reporting third-party deals of $600 or more to NIL Go within five business days.
What NIL collective works with DePaul?
DePaul says collectives are independent of the university, and its athletic director wrote on 2025-06-06 that DePaul's NIL efforts "will be managed internally, rather than through third-party collectives". Earlier DePaul documents name Under the L (a 2023 letter from Athletic Director DeWayne Peevy and a 2024 giving diagram) and Blue Grit Collective (a 2024 charitable pledge card). Their current status was not confirmed on 2026-10-22.
What NIL deals are banned for DePaul athletes?
Following Illinois law, DePaul's policy bars deals promoting gambling, sports betting, controlled substances, cannabis, tobacco, nicotine, performance-enhancing supplements, adult entertainment and alcohol, plus bars, taverns and liquor stores and anything DePaul finds inconsistent with its mission. Its example list prohibits CBD sellers.
Can DePaul athletes have an NIL agent?
Yes. DePaul's policy and 2026-27 handbook allow representation for NIL, not for professional sports plans. Illinois has no agent registration, but DePaul's agents page says anyone seeking to represent a current athlete registers with DePaul and is approved before contact.
Be your own agent. Leave.
