Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of Kentucky, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what University of Kentucky, its conference, the state of Kentucky 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 Kentucky
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | The policy UK Athletics still links from its NIL page is the "UK Athletics Name, Image & Likeness Policy for Student-Athletes" dated 2021-06-30, written under Executive Order 2021-418, which SB 6 nullified in 2022. It required disclosure 7 days before the activity through INFLCR Verified and barred UK employees, including coaches, from arranging NIL pay; both rules predate the current statute. UK's compliance Agents page still repeats the 2021 agent wording. No newer UK NIL policy text was found on ukathletics.com or uky.edu on 2026-10-21 | UK Athletics, NIL Policy for Student-Athletes (2021-06-30); UK Athletics, "Name, Image, Likeness" page; UK Athletics Compliance, Agents |
| How deals are disclosed | NIL Go for third-party deals of $600 or more within five business days of execution (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). Kentucky law also has the athlete submit a proposed third-party NIL agreement to the official the school designates; the school has up to three business days to flag conflicts, and later changes are submitted the same way (KRS 164.6947(2)). UK's current submission channel is not published; the 2021 policy named INFLCR Verified | NCAA 2026-27 Division I Manual; /nil/college/kentucky; UK 2021 policy |
| Banned categories | Kentucky law bars third-party NIL deals for sports betting, controlled substances, substances the athlete's association bans, adult entertainment, and products or services illegal for the athlete (KRS 164.6945(4)), and lets a school bar deals that conflict with its mission. UK's 2021 list: lotteries, casinos, sports wagering and online equivalents; products and establishments marketed only to people 18 or older; adult entertainment; tobacco, marijuana and nicotine vapor products; apparel, sportswear and footwear during team activities; and other colleges and universities, health care and related services | /nil/college/kentucky; UK 2021 policy |
| School marks and group licensing | The 2021 policy says athletes may not use UK trademarks, colors or copyrighted content unless an agreement is secured consistent with UK's licensing program, and may not use university facilities. UK's NIL page links Fanatics Licensing Management's student inquiry form and Catapult Licensing. On 2026-04-03 UK announced a 12-year Fanatics extension with an NIL program in which Fanatics works with select athletes through the Fanatics Creator Program, managed through BBNIL | UK Athletics, "Name, Image, Likeness" page; UK Athletics (2026-04-03) |
| Revenue sharing | The 2026-27 cap is approximately $21.58 million per school (College Sports Commission). UK says it is "participating fully in revenue sharing", which it described as "up to $20.5 million available annually" (UKNow, 2025-12-22, the 2025-26 cap). State law lets UK or its affiliated corporation pay athletes, including revenue sharing, through written institutional agreements (KRS 164.6945(2)). The Board of Trustees designated Champions Blue, LLC as an affiliated corporation under KRS 164A.610 to manage intercollegiate athletics (2025-04-25). Kentucky is on the College Sports Commission's list of participating schools for 2026-27. UK has not published amounts by sport or athlete, and state law exempts institutional agreements from open records | UKNow (2025-12-22); UK Board of Trustees, PR 6 (2025-04-25); College Sports Commission, "Revenue Sharing" and "Participating Schools" |
| Collective or NIL group | BBNIL Suite, announced 2025-08-27, an opt-in NIL program "built and operated" by UK Athletics and JMI Sports (UK's multimedia rights holder, local name UK Sports & Campus Marketing) for all UK athletes; UK says athletes may also pursue independent deals or bring existing agreements for review. UK's 2024-08-22 release named the collectives benefiting its athletes as The 15 Club, Club Blue and Commonwealth Causes, W1974, and Charities for Kentucky; no newer UK list was found on 2026-10-21 | UK Athletics (2025-08-27); UKNow (2025-12-22); UK Athletics (2024-08-22) |
| Agents and representation | Kentucky treats an agreement to negotiate or solicit NIL deals as an "agency contract": the agent registers with the Department of Professional Licensing, and the athlete and agent each notify the athletic director within 72 hours or before the next athletic event; the athlete may cancel within 14 days (KRS 164.6903, 164.6907, 164.6919, 164.6921). A school may not bar an athlete from having an agent (KRS 164.6943(1)). UK's compliance Agents page (and its 2021 policy) says "Any individual involved in assisting with promotional activities for student-athletes should be registered with the UK Athletics Compliance office and the Commonwealth of Kentucky"; UK's compliance page links the state's list of licensed athlete agents | /nil/college/kentucky; UK Athletics Compliance, Agents; UK 2021 policy |
| Compliance contact | UK Athletic Compliance Office, (859) 257-8604; the office lists an Assistant Director of Athletic Compliance, Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) | UK Athletics, Compliance |
| State law | Kentucky lets a school or its affiliated corporation pay athletes under written institutional agreements, gives the school up to three business days to review outside deals, bars deals in five statutory categories and keeps institutional and submitted NIL agreements out of the Open Records Act (in force) | /nil/college/kentucky |
What is specific to Kentucky
Kentucky is moving its athletics department out of the university's direct operation and into Champions Blue, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Beyond Blue Corporation that the Board of Trustees designated as an affiliated corporation under KRS 164A.610 on 2025-04-25, with the same immunity as the university. That matters for athletes because Kentucky's NIL statute names an affiliated corporation, alongside the school, as a party that may pay athletes through a written institutional agreement (KRS 164.6941(1), 164.6945(2)). UK's athletics director told the trustees' athletics committee on 2025-09-11 that one of the new entity's first acts was extending the JMI Sports multimedia rights deal through 2040, and JMI now co-runs BBNIL Suite, the university's opt-in NIL program, which in turn manages the NIL side of UK's 2026 Fanatics extension. UK said on 2026-04-03 that the department is shifting to Champions Blue "over the course of this year", and PR 6 leaves to the president which functions and assets move and when. UK says athletes can still sign independent deals.
What is public about Kentucky NIL pay
Kentucky keeps both kinds of athlete contracts closed at public schools. An athlete's institutional agreement (the contract that carries revenue sharing) and any NIL agreement submitted to a public college for its three-business-day review, along with information taken from either, are treated as personal information under KRS 61.878 and are not released under the Open Records Act (KRS 164.6947(7)). Kentucky's statute has no provision making a school's yearly revenue-sharing total public. What UK has published is program-level: that it participates fully in revenue sharing, that the department is moving into Champions Blue, LLC, that the JMI Sports rights deal now runs through 2040, and that BBNIL Suite and the Fanatics NIL program exist. UK's published statements do not break revenue sharing down by sport or athlete.
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 Kentucky
Does Kentucky pay its athletes?
Yes. UK says it is "participating fully in revenue sharing" under the House settlement (UKNow, 2025-12-22), and Kentucky law lets the school or its affiliated corporation pay athletes, including revenue sharing, through a written institutional agreement in exchange for NIL, brand promotion or other rights (KRS 164.6945(2)). The 2026-27 cap is approximately $21.58 million per school (College Sports Commission). Individual agreements are not public under KRS 164.6947(7).
What is Champions Blue at Kentucky?
Champions Blue, LLC is the entity UK's Board of Trustees approved creating on 2025-04-25 "to manage and coordinate the University's educational mission concerning intercollegiate athletics". It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Beyond Blue Corporation, designated an affiliated corporation of the university under KRS 164A.610, and UK said on 2026-04-03 that the athletics department is shifting to it "over the course of this year". Under KRS 164.6945(2), an affiliated corporation can be the party to an athlete's institutional agreement.
What NIL collective works with Kentucky?
UK's own NIL program is BBNIL Suite, run with JMI Sports since August 2025 and open to all UK athletes on an opt-in basis. In August 2024 UK named the collectives that benefit its athletes as The 15 Club, Club Blue and Commonwealth Causes, W1974, and Charities for Kentucky. No newer UK list was found, so the status of each collective as of 2026-10-21 is not confirmed by the school.
How do Kentucky athletes report NIL deals?
Two tracks apply. Third-party deals worth $600 or more go to NIL Go within five business days of execution (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). Kentucky law also has the athlete submit a proposed third-party agreement to the school's designated official before signing, and the school has up to three business days to give written notice of any conflicts (KRS 164.6947(2)). UK's 2021 policy named INFLCR Verified as the tool and a 7-day window; UK has not posted a current version.
Are Kentucky athletes' NIL and revenue-share contracts public?
Not at UK or other public Kentucky schools. KRS 164.6947(7) treats an athlete's institutional agreement, and any NIL agreement submitted to a public school for review, as personal information whose disclosure would be a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy, so neither is released under the Open Records Act. Unlike Louisiana and South Carolina, Kentucky's statute does not make a school's yearly revenue-sharing total a public record.
Can Kentucky athletes sell their own jerseys or merchandise?
UK's 2021 policy says athletes may not use UK trademarks, colors or copyrighted content unless an agreement is secured under UK's licensing program, and UK's NIL page points to Fanatics Licensing Management and Catapult Licensing for licensing questions. On 2026-04-03 UK announced a Fanatics program in which select athletes run affiliate storefronts through Fanatics Creator, managed through BBNIL.
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