Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, its conference, the state of North Carolina 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 North Carolina
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | "Carolina NIL," posted on goheels.com on 2026-10-15, sets UNC's rules on disclosure, university reputation and prohibited categories, compensation, professional service providers, marks and logos, team and academic obligations, facility use, filming on campus and equity, and refers to itself as a policy ("permissible institutional services under this policy"). UNC's university policy library has no separate NIL policy (searches for "NIL" and "likeness", 2026-10-21) | Carolina Athletics, "Carolina NIL" (2026-10-15); UNC Policies (checked 2026-10-21) |
| How deals are disclosed | Carolina NIL says "NIL agreements or compensation of $600 or more must be reported through NILGo within five business days, with supporting documentation" and "Failure to disclose may affect eligibility" (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). It also says "To receive Carolina NIL services, student-athletes must disclose their NIL deals through the proper channels," with Kara Cannizzaro (cannizza@email.unc.edu) or uncnil@unc.edu as contacts. North Carolina law sets no disclosure duty to the school | Carolina Athletics, "Carolina NIL" (2026-10-15); NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/north-carolina |
| Banned categories | North Carolina law lists none; Executive Order 223, which let schools exclude products, was rescinded on 2024-03-08. UNC prohibits NIL activity involving alcohol, tobacco, controlled substances, adult entertainment, gambling, illegal or unethical activities, and discriminatory, hateful or violent organizations, and activity that could harm Carolina Athletics, the University or its exclusive partners; "additional restrictions may apply" | Carolina Athletics, "Carolina NIL" (2026-10-15); /nil/college/north-carolina |
| School marks and group licensing | Carolina NIL says "Use of UNC, Athletics, ACC or NCAA marks and logos in NIL activities requires appropriate athletic department and licensing approval" and that Tar Heel Sports Properties "may provide access to marks and logos through commercial advertising and sponsorship." Athletes may use UNC marks on social media "in non-commercial contexts, provided the post does not promote a commercial product, service or partner." Carolina NIL lists "Group licensing opportunities" among permitted activities. UNC's 2026-09-30 release on licensed Carolina drinkware with Roam Technologies, introduced through UNC athletes as creators, calls CLC "the UNC's exclusive brand licensing agent" | Carolina Athletics, "Carolina NIL" (2026-10-15); Carolina Athletics, Roam release (2026-09-30) |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission puts the 2026-27 cap at approximately $21.58 million per school, up from $20.5 million in 2025-26. Bubba Cunningham, then Director of Athletics, wrote on 2025-06-23 that beginning July 1 UNC would "fully fund and distribute $20.5 million in revenue share directly to UNC student-athletes," that "The majority of those funds will be paid to student-athletes in our two revenue-generating sports, Football and men's basketball, with women's basketball and baseball players receiving some revenue share, as well," and that "The revenue share number will increase by 4 percent each year, and we will evaluate the division of all funds annually." A UNC figure for 2026-27 is not published on the pages read | Carolina Athletics, letter from Bubba Cunningham (2025-06-23); College Sports Commission FAQ |
| Collective or NIL group | The Carolina NIL page (2026-10-15) names no collective; its FAQ says athletes may receive compensation "from businesses, individuals and collectives." It lists Tar Heel Sports Properties, which it says "has recently established a dedicated NIL team" (UNC's Roam release calls it "the locally based division of college sports media and technology company Learfield"), Tar Heel Blue, the Team Tar Heel Business Alliance and Opendorse. Cunningham's letter of 2025-06-23 said "Businesses interested in sponsorship deals with student-athletes can work through our collectives, Old Well Management and NCHOF, through our corporate sponsorship partner Tar Heel Sports Properties or through other preferred partners." UNC's 2024-08-01 release said Old Well Management "consolidates, rebrands and expands two former UNC-affiliated collectives, Heels4Life and Secondary Break Club." The school had not said, on the pages read on 2026-10-21, whether those relationships continue; CarolinaNIL.com, announced in the 2024 release, returned "Not Found" (HTTP 404) that day | Carolina Athletics, "Carolina NIL" (2026-10-15); Carolina Athletics, letter (2025-06-23), CAROLINA NIL release (2024-08-01) and Roam release (2026-09-30) |
| Agents and representation | Carolina NIL says athletes may use agents, financial advisors or attorneys for NIL, that NIL agents must be registered in North Carolina, and that agents first contact ncaacompliance@unc.edu before contacting UNC athletes; professional sports representation stays subject to NCAA rules. Under state law an NIL agency contract falls under the Uniform Athlete Agents Act: agents register with the Secretary of State, the contract carries a warning, and the athlete may cancel within 14 days | Carolina Athletics, "Carolina NIL" (2026-10-15) and Agents page; /nil/college/north-carolina |
| Compliance contact | UNC Athletics Compliance, Department of Athletics, P.O. Box 2126, Chapel Hill, NC 27515, 919-962-6000, ncaacompliance@unc.edu; Marielle vanGelder, Senior Associate Athletic Director, NCAA Compliance/Senior Woman Administrator. Carolina NIL lists Kara Cannizzaro (Assistant Athletic Director/NIL and Leadership Development, cannizza@email.unc.edu, 919-962-5411) and uncnil@unc.edu as NIL contacts | Carolina Athletics, Compliance and staff directory; "Carolina NIL" (2026-10-15) |
| State law | North Carolina has no general college NIL statute; S.L. 2025-46 (in force 2025-07-01) brings NIL agency contracts under the Uniform Athlete Agents Act and makes records of an athlete's NIL contract confidential, and Executive Order 223 was rescinded on 2024-03-08. Narrow law | /nil/college/north-carolina |
What is specific to North Carolina
North Carolina has no general college NIL statute, and UNC's own Carolina NIL page sets the rules a state statute sets in some other states: it lists prohibited categories, bars third-party NIL pay tied to athletic performance or attendance, requires NIL agents to be registered in North Carolina and to contact compliance first, and limits facility use mostly to official sponsors through Tar Heel Sports Properties. The page says "Carolina Athletics partners with Wells Fargo to provide financial literacy and investment resources and courses for student-athletes." In 2024 UNC launched CAROLINA NIL, which its release said "brings together Carolina Athletics, The Rams Club, NCHOF and Old Well Management"; the 2026 page lists Tar Heel Sports Properties, Tar Heel Blue, the Team Tar Heel Business Alliance and Opendorse. Minutes of the Board of Trustees Governance Advisory Committee's 2026-08-11 special meeting, in the board's 2026-09-24 meeting book, record that Director of Athletics Steve Newmark "stated that the proposed limited liability company (LLC) would be wholly owned by the university, with board members appointed by the Chancellor," that it "would oversee several revenue-generating areas, including sponsorships and multimedia rights, licensing, ticketing, name, image and likeness (NIL) activities, special events, and operation of the Finley Golf Course," and that "the committee agreed to defer action until additional information could be reviewed." Minutes of the External Relations Committee's 2026-07-29 meeting, in the same book, record of the proposed Protect College Sports Act: "The University has submitted letters of support and continues to advocate for a federal framework governing NIL, revenue sharing, and other college athletics issues."
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 North Carolina
Does UNC pay its athletes?
Yes. Bubba Cunningham, then Director of Athletics, wrote on 2025-06-23 that beginning July 1, 2025 UNC would "fully fund and distribute $20.5 million in revenue share directly to UNC student-athletes," with the majority going to football and men's basketball and "some revenue share" to women's basketball and baseball players, and that "The revenue share number will increase by 4 percent each year." The College Sports Commission puts the 2026-27 cap at approximately $21.58 million per school. North Carolina law neither allows nor bars school NIL pay.
How do UNC athletes report NIL deals?
UNC's Carolina NIL page says agreements or compensation of $600 or more are reported through NIL Go within five business days, with supporting documentation, and that failure to disclose may affect eligibility. To receive Carolina NIL services, athletes also disclose deals through UNC's channels; the contact is uncnil@unc.edu. North Carolina law sets no separate disclosure rule.
What NIL collective works with UNC?
UNC's current Carolina NIL page, posted 2026-10-15, names no collective; it lists Tar Heel Sports Properties, Tar Heel Blue, the Team Tar Heel Business Alliance and Opendorse. The athletic director's letter of 2025-06-23 said businesses "can work through our collectives, Old Well Management and NCHOF." The UNC pages read on 2026-10-21 do not say whether that has changed.
What NIL deals are not allowed at UNC?
UNC prohibits NIL activity involving alcohol, tobacco, controlled substances, adult entertainment, gambling, illegal or unethical activities, and discriminatory, hateful or violent organizations, plus activity that could harm Carolina Athletics, the University or its exclusive partners. Third-party NIL pay may not be tied to athletic performance or attendance, and NIL may not be used as a recruiting inducement.
Do NIL agents need to register in North Carolina?
Yes. UNC's Carolina NIL page says NIL agents must be registered in North Carolina and contact ncaacompliance@unc.edu before contacting UNC athletes. Since 2025-07-01, state law treats an NIL agency contract as an agency contract under the Uniform Athlete Agents Act: agents register with the Secretary of State and the athlete may cancel within 14 days.
Can UNC athletes use the Carolina logo in NIL deals?
Commercial use of UNC, ACC or NCAA marks needs prior approval from the athletic department and the licensing entities, and Tar Heel Sports Properties may provide marks through sponsorship deals. UNC says athletes may use UNC marks on social media in non-commercial posts that do not promote a product, service or partner.
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