Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by New Mexico State University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what New Mexico State University, its conference, the state of New Mexico 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 New Mexico State
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | No stand-alone NIL policy is published. The 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook (posted 2026-08-14) says athletes may earn NIL pay "in accordance with NCAA legislation, New Mexico law, and NMSU policy"; NIL activities "must not" be a recruiting or enrollment inducement, pay for performance, pay for work not performed, pay above fair market value, or involve "institutional facilitation that is prohibited by NCAA legislation". NMSU's Administrative Rules and Procedures (Chapter 17, Athletics) contain no NIL rule | NM State Athletics, 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook; NMSU ARP Chapter 17 |
| How deals are disclosed | Handbook: athletes "Must Report NIL Activity to NM State Athletics Compliance" through the INFLCR application and "Must report NIL deals by a third-party totaling $600 or more in NIL GO and INFLCR within five business days as required by NCAA legislation" (Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). Its opening page lists entering an NIL agreement among the actions to take to Compliance first. New Mexico law has no disclosure rule | NM State Athletics, 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook; NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/new-mexico |
| Banned categories | New Mexico's statute lists none. The handbook says athletes "may not endorse" cannabis products, sports gambling, alcohol, controlled substances, performance-enhancing drugs, drug paraphernalia, tobacco, nicotine, vapor products, weapons, casinos, and adult entertainment establishments or products | NM State Athletics, 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook; /nil/college/new-mexico |
| School marks and group licensing | Not published for NIL. NMSU's rule on its logo (ARP 15.80, revised 2016) says third parties may use NMSU's protected trademarks "only" through a license agreement approved by University Communications, with retail uses coordinated through the Collegiate Licensing Company | NMSU ARP 15.80 |
| Revenue sharing | "The Future of New Mexico Division I Athletics", presented to the Legislative Finance Committee on 2025-08-20 by NM State Acting Athletic Director Amber Burdge and UNM Athletic Director Fernando Lovo (LFC agenda), says "UNM and NMSU have opted in to the settlement terms and may begin compensating student-athletes" and that "Mountain West and C-USA schools will operate at much lower levels" than Power Four schools funding at the cap; it shows an estimated $2 million budget gap for NM State against Conference USA peers. NM State Athletics said on 2026-04-01 that gifts to the Lou and Mary Henson Excellence Fund, which replaced the Aggie Athletic Club as its general giving fund in January 2026, "support emerging revenue-sharing opportunities". The College Sports Commission lists New Mexico State University (Conference USA) as participating in 2026-27 and puts the cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school" (read 2026-10-23). No NM State total or allocation is published | LFC presentation and agenda (2025-08-20); NM State Athletics, Henson Fund releases (2026-01-10, 2026-04-01); College Sports Commission |
| Collective or NIL group | A-Mountain Sports. NM State Athletics announced on 2023-10-19, with LEARFIELD, that A-Mountain Sports "will be the official Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) Collective of the NM State Aggies"; the release says it launched in spring 2022, partnered with nearly 50 athletes and runs a "Cruces Business Coalition" of local businesses. Its site, AggieNIL.com, returned no content on 2026-10-23, so its current status was not confirmed | NM State Athletics, A-Mountain Sports release (2023-10-19) |
| Agents and representation | Handbook: athletes "may receive professional representation for Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) activities as permitted by NCAA legislation, New Mexico law, and NMSU policy", may not agree with a sports agent for athletic purposes before eligibility ends, and "should contact the Athletics Compliance Office before entering into any agreement with an agent or professional representative". New Mexico law bars schools from interfering with representation; agents register with the Secretary of State ($250, two years) and both sides notify the athletic director within 72 hours | NM State Athletics, 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook; /nil/college/new-mexico |
| Compliance contact | NMSU Athletics Compliance, PO Box 30001, MSC 3145, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001; (575) 646-1028; athcompliance@nmsu.edu | NMSU Athletics Compliance, About page (read 2026-10-23) |
| State law | In force. New Mexico's Student Athlete Endorsement Act (NMSA 1978, 21-31-1 to 21-31-4) bars schools from penalizing athletes for third-party NIL pay or representation and protects grants-in-aid; it sets no disclosure rule, no banned categories and no records exemption, and says nothing on school pay | /nil/college/new-mexico |
What is specific to New Mexico State
NM State's rules sit almost entirely in its 2026-27 handbook, whose compliance section is headed "Ask Aggie Compliance Before You Act!". Its endorsement ban is longer than New Mexico law, which bans no categories at all, and adds an unusual condition: an athlete "who elects not to disclose name, image and likeness activities shall not receive" NMSU's NIL assistance and services. The money picture comes from a presentation to the Legislative Finance Committee on 2025-08-20 by NM State's acting athletic director and UNM's athletic director, whose slides say both schools opted in to the House settlement, that Conference USA schools would operate "at much lower levels" than the Power Four, and that NM State "trails Conference USA peers from a budget standpoint". In January 2026 NM State replaced the Aggie Athletic Club, its general athletics giving program, with the Lou and Mary Henson Excellence Fund, which it says also supports "emerging revenue-sharing opportunities". Its collective, A-Mountain Sports, was named official in 2023 in a release issued with LEARFIELD Sports Properties.
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 New Mexico State
Does New Mexico State pay its athletes?
NM State opted in to the House settlement, according to slides its acting athletic director and UNM's athletic director presented to the Legislative Finance Committee on 2025-08-20, and the College Sports Commission lists it for 2026-27 with a cap of about $21.58 million per school. The same slides said Conference USA schools would operate "at much lower levels" than the Power Four. NM State Athletics said in April 2026 that gifts to its Lou and Mary Henson Excellence Fund support revenue sharing. NM State has not published its totals.
How do NM State athletes report NIL deals?
The 2026-27 handbook says athletes report NIL activity to compliance through INFLCR, and report third-party deals of $600 or more in both NIL Go and INFLCR within five business days (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2).
What NIL collective works with NM State?
NM State Athletics named A-Mountain Sports its official NIL collective on 2023-10-19, in a release with LEARFIELD. Its website returned no content on 2026-10-23, and its current status was not confirmed from a primary source.
What can't NM State athletes endorse?
The handbook lists cannabis products, sports gambling, alcohol, controlled substances, performance-enhancing drugs, drug paraphernalia, tobacco, nicotine, vapor products, weapons, casinos, and adult entertainment establishments or products. New Mexico law itself bans no categories.
Does an NIL agent need to register in New Mexico?
New Mexico's Uniform Athlete Agents Act has agents register with the Secretary of State ($250, two years) and notify the athletic director within 72 hours of signing an athlete. NM State's handbook says athletes should contact Athletics Compliance before any agreement with an agent or professional representative.
Be your own agent. Leave.
