Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of Maryland Eastern Shore, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what University of Maryland Eastern Shore, its conference, the state of Maryland 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 Maryland Eastern Shore
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | Not published. The Compliance pages on the UMES athletics site date from 2018 and cover NCAA eligibility and boosters, with no NIL section; the newest student-athlete handbook posted is for 2009-10 | UMES Athletics, Compliance pages (2018) and site documents (read 2026-10-23) |
| 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). Maryland law: an athlete at a University System of Maryland school who enters an NIL contract "shall disclose the contract to an official" the school designates, with no deadline (Educ. § 15-131(e)(2)). UMES says a deal paid through the Hawk Exchange "automates a disclosure to the Influencer Compliance Ledger"; UMES has not published a rule for other deals | UMES Athletics, Hawk Exchange release (2025-10-14); NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/maryland |
| Banned categories | Maryland's statute has no list of banned categories. UMES's own list: Not published | /nil/college/maryland |
| School marks and group licensing | Not published. No UMES page on use of university marks in NIL activity or on group licensing was found. Maryland law gives athletes no right to use a school's names, trademarks or logos (Educ. § 15-131(f)) | UMES Athletics (read 2026-10-23); /nil/college/maryland |
| Revenue sharing | UMES's 2025-05-07 release says it declared its intent to the NCAA and the MEAC in April 2025 to opt in, and quotes Vice President of Athletics and Recreation Tara A. Owens: "The decision will not increase the financial investment the university makes in the Department of Athletics." The College Sports Commission lists University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) for 2026-27 and puts the cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school" (read 2026-10-23). On 2025-08-26 UMES said it was the first MEAC school to adopt Teamworks General Manager for roster management, budgeting, contracts and payment processing "as the Hawks prepare for the evolving demands of collegiate athletics' revenue share era". No amount has been published | UMES Athletics, releases (2025-05-07, 2025-08-26); College Sports Commission |
| Collective or NIL group | No collective is named on the UMES athletics site. UMES's NIL platform is the Hawk Exchange (Teamworks Influencer, 2025-10-14), a registry where businesses, donors and alumni can find and contact UMES athletes; once a deal is agreed, the business pays the athlete through it "without any transaction fees" | UMES Athletics, Hawk Exchange release (2025-10-14) |
| Agents and representation | Not published by UMES. Maryland law: a public school may not prevent an athlete from obtaining representation for contracts or legal matters (Educ. § 15-131(c)(2)), and athlete agents, including anyone who negotiates an endorsement contract, need a license from the Secretary of Labor (Bus. Reg. §§ 4-401 to 4-421) | /nil/college/maryland |
| Compliance contact | UMES Athletics, Compliance: Tony Hernandez, Director of Compliance (staff directory, read 2026-10-23; no phone or email is listed for the position) | UMES Athletics, Staff Directory |
| State law | Maryland's Educ. § 15-131 (in force since 2023-07-01) covers the constituent institutions of the University System of Maryland, which include UMES (Educ. § 12-101(b)(6)), and Morgan State: it bars rules against NIL pay or representation, protects scholarships from NIL-related cuts, has athletes disclose NIL contracts to a school official and bars NIL pay to prospective athletes; in force | /nil/college/maryland |
What is specific to Maryland Eastern Shore
UMES is a public historically Black university on Maryland's Eastern Shore, a constituent institution of the University System of Maryland, with no tackle football team, and its NIL and revenue-sharing announcements are about the sports it does play. Its 2025 releases list 15 sports, with men's volleyball, golf and baseball in the Northeast Conference; on 2026-06-17 UMES announced women's flag football, which it said brings its Division I sponsorship to 16 sports, to begin competition in 2026-27, and the MEAC's 2026-08-13 release names UMES among four full MEAC members in the sport. UMES chose to opt into the House settlement in 2025 and said "The decision will not increase the financial investment the university makes in the Department of Athletics", describing plans to "utilize our department resources strategically and cultivate new pathways for student-athlete financial support". It then became, by its own account, the first MEAC school on Teamworks General Manager, a platform for roster management, budgeting, contracts and payment processing adopted as UMES prepared for "the evolving demands of collegiate athletics' revenue share era", and in October 2025 opened the Hawk Exchange for NIL deals.
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 Maryland Eastern Shore
Does Maryland Eastern Shore pay its athletes?
UMES announced in May 2025 that it would opt into the House settlement, which it said allows the university to directly compensate athletes, and the College Sports Commission lists UMES for 2026-27, when the cap is about $21.58 million per school. UMES said the decision would not increase university spending on athletics and has published no amount.
How do UMES athletes report NIL deals?
NCAA rules have third-party deals of $600 or more reported to NIL Go within five business days. Maryland law has UMES athletes disclose NIL contracts to an official UMES designates. Deals paid through the Hawk Exchange create a disclosure automatically, according to UMES's October 2025 release.
What is the UMES Hawk Exchange?
An NIL business registry UMES launched with Teamworks Influencer on 2025-10-14. Businesses, donors and alumni apply, then search for and message UMES athletes; once a deal is agreed, the business pays the athlete through the exchange with no transaction fees.
Does UMES have a football team or an NIL collective?
UMES has no tackle football team. Its 2025 releases list 15 sports, and on 2026-06-17 it announced women's flag football, to begin competition in 2026-27. No NIL collective is named on the UMES athletics site; the NIL platform UMES announced is the Hawk Exchange.
Can an NIL deal affect a UMES athlete's scholarship?
Maryland law says a University System of Maryland school, which includes UMES, may not reduce, rescind or otherwise affect a scholarship because the athlete earns NIL compensation (Educ. § 15-131(b)(1)(ii)).
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