Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of Houston, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what University of Houston, its conference, the state of Texas and the NCAA have published, linked under Sources and read on October 21, 2026. "Not published" means the school has not published it.
The rules at Houston
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | "Noninstitutional Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL)", University of Houston Office of Athletics Compliance, dated 2025-06-12 in its file name, posted 2025-06-25 and linked as "Name, Image & Likeness (NIL)" from the Current Student-Athletes compliance page. It covers basic principles (a valid business purpose and pay within the range of compensation standards), professional service providers, UH intellectual property, facilities, memorabilia, disclosure, barred activities and categories, financial aid and international athletes. Older versions are still linked: the LIFTOFF page that uhcougars.com/NIL leads to links the May 2024 policy (disclosure of all NIL activity "prior to engaging in the NIL activity via INFLCR"; UH "will not directly or indirectly compensate student-athletes for NIL activities"), and a 2021 NIL page links the 2021 policy (disclosure through Opendorse before any activity; UH intellectual property barred outright) | Houston Athletics, NIL policy (2025-06-12) and Current Student-Athletes page; LIFTOFF page and NIL policy (May 2024); NIL page and NIL Policy (2021) |
| How deals are disclosed | UH's 2025 policy: athletes disclose "all 3rd party NIL activities and deals equal to or greater than $600 in the aggregate through NIL Go"; "It is recommended that student athletes submit any proposed NIL agreement that has not been executed or paid to NIL Go for review prior to moving forward with the contract"; a deal NIL Go does not clear may be rescinded, revised and resubmitted, and athletes may contest the outcome in neutral arbitration at their own cost. Texas law: disclosure to the school before entering the contract, in the manner the school prescribes (§ 51.9246(g)(1)). NCAA: within five business days (Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2) | Houston Athletics, NIL policy (2025-06-12); Tex. Educ. Code § 51.9246; NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27 |
| Banned categories | Texas law bars pay for athletic performance and for endorsing alcohol, tobacco products, e-cigarettes or other nicotine delivery devices, anabolic steroids, sports betting, casino gambling, a firearm the athlete cannot legally buy, or a sexually oriented business (§ 51.9246(g)(2)(B)). UH's policy repeats that list and adds "a business that promotes academic dishonesty or misconduct". It also bars NIL activity during team activities (countable and required athletically related activities) and during class, study hall and tutoring appointments | Tex. Educ. Code § 51.9246; Houston Athletics, NIL policy (2025-06-12) |
| School marks and group licensing | UH's policy bars UH intellectual property in NIL activity "without express written permission of the university", including trademarks and logos, uniforms, gear and apparel, and photos, videos and highlights with UH marks; commercial filming or photos at institutional facilities are "strictly prohibited", and athletes may not sell memorabilia UH provides. Texas law lets a school permit its marks only under its licensing requirements and at market rates (§ 51.9246(g)(5), (g-2)). No group licensing program is described on the pages reviewed | Houston Athletics, NIL policy (2025-06-12); Tex. Educ. Code § 51.9246 |
| Revenue sharing | Houston Athletics' 2026 NIL and revenue share information pages say "Houston Athletics has opted in and fully participates in Revenue Sharing" and that revenue sharing "is associated with the grant of certain NIL rights to the school and does not create an employment relationship". The College Sports Commission lists UH for 2026-27 and puts the cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school". Under Texas law, information UH holds that reveals any term of an NIL contract or proposed contract is confidential and may be withheld from public records requests (§ 51.9246(l)) | Houston Athletics, NIL and Rev Share Info Pages (2026); College Sports Commission, Revenue Sharing and Participating Schools; Tex. Educ. Code § 51.9246(l) |
| Collective or NIL group | LinkingCoogs. Houston Athletics' 2025-07-11 release of athletic director Eddie Nuñez's letter calls it "UH's very own NIL collective", and Houston Athletics' 2026 information pages call it the "Official NIL Partner", with monthly fan memberships and business programs. Those pages list a LinkingCoogs contact with a thelinku.com email address, and a 2024 UH release names Austin Elrod as President and Co-Founder of LinkingCoogs. Houston Athletics releases since September 2025 also point fans to its "Partner with a UH Student-Athlete" form for "providing NIL opportunities", and UH describes Houston Sports Properties, its sponsorship arm, as working with "corporate sponsorships and NIL opportunities" (2026-03-02) | Houston Athletics, AD letter (2025-07-11), NIL and Rev Share Info Pages (2026) and releases (2024-07-15, 2025-09-04, 2026-03-02) |
| Agents and representation | UH's policy allows an agent only for NIL deals and marketing, not for pursuing professional athletics; "A professional service provider representing a student-athlete for purposes of securing compensation for the student-athletes' NIL must be licensed as required by the State of Texas", and all providers are disclosed to compliance. UH's agents page says all agents register with both the Texas Secretary of State and UH compliance and notify compliance before contacting an athlete; UH holds an Agent Day, typically in July. Texas law bars a school from preventing professional representation, including a Texas-licensed attorney (§ 51.9246(c)(2)) | Houston Athletics, NIL policy (2025-06-12) and Agents page; Tex. Educ. Code § 51.9246 |
| Compliance contact | University of Houston Office of Athletics Compliance, whose page lists its staff. A 2025-09-04 release says Lauren DuBois, Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for Governance and Regulatory Affairs, leads the compliance team and helps oversee NIL management and the department's revenue sharing agreements | Houston Athletics, Compliance; release (2025-09-04) |
| State law | Tex. Educ. Code § 51.9246 requires disclosure of each proposed NIL contract to UH before signing, bans listed endorsement categories, keeps contract terms UH holds confidential, and since HB 126 (2025-06-05) allows what an athletic association, conference or final court order authorizes; in force | /nil/college/texas |
What is specific to Houston
Houston's NIL rules come from a short compliance policy that UH has rewritten several times: its document list holds versions named for December 2021, March 2023, September 2023, May 2024 and June 2025, and three of them are still linked from live pages, with uhcougars.com/NIL leading to the May 2024 one. The 2025 version is built around NIL Go, adds an arbitration route at the athlete's cost, keeps a ban on deals with businesses that promote academic dishonesty, and lets UH marks be used only with written permission instead of not at all. On the money side, UH says it fully participates in revenue sharing, describing it as payment tied to NIL rights granted to the school, and its athletic director's 2025 letter asked Houston businesses to back third-party NIL deals, while the release carrying it pointed fans to LinkingCoogs as "UH's very own NIL collective".
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 Houston
Does the University of Houston pay its athletes?
Yes, through revenue sharing. Houston Athletics says it "has opted in and fully participates in Revenue Sharing", and the College Sports Commission lists UH for 2026-27 with a cap of about $21.58 million per school. UH describes revenue sharing as tied to NIL rights athletes grant the school, not employment. No breakdown by sport is published.
How do Houston Cougars athletes report NIL deals?
UH's 2025 policy uses NIL Go for third-party deals of $600 or more in total and recommends submitting a proposed agreement before it is signed or paid. Texas law says each proposed contract is disclosed to UH before signing, and NCAA rules set the NIL Go report at five business days.
What NIL collective works with the University of Houston?
LinkingCoogs. Houston Athletics called it "UH's very own NIL collective" in its July 2025 release of the athletic director's letter, and its 2026 information pages list it as the Official NIL Partner, with a contact at a thelinku.com address. UH releases since September 2025 also point fans to a UH form, "Partner with a UH Student-Athlete", for providing NIL opportunities.
Are Houston athletes' NIL contracts public records?
Not the terms UH holds. Education Code § 51.9246(l) makes information held by the school that reveals any term of an NIL contract or proposed contract confidential and excepted from the Public Information Act.
Can a Houston athlete film an NIL ad in a UH uniform or at a UH facility?
UH's policy bars UH trademarks, uniforms, gear and UH-marked photos and video without the university's express written permission, and calls commercial filming or photos at institutional facilities "strictly prohibited".
Be your own agent. Leave.
