Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Northwestern University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what Northwestern University, its conference, the state of Illinois 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 Northwestern
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | "Northwestern University Name, Image & Likeness Policy", linked as "Name, Image & Likeness" and "NIL policy" from Northwestern Athletics' compliance pages. The PDF's metadata gives a creation date of 2022-06-14, and the policy says it was adopted "Consistent with the Illinois Student-Athlete Endorsement Rights Act, IL SB 2338". It has five sections (definitions; compensation; limits on NIL compensation; agents, financial advisors and disclosures; institutional involvement), and the appendix titled "University Registered Trademarks Guide" reproduces the enrolled text of Illinois HB 1175 (2022). Section 5 says Northwestern, "including coaches, staff, faculty, and officers acting on behalf of the University, shall not provide compensation to a prospective or current student-athlete" | Northwestern Athletics, Name, Image & Likeness Policy (PDF created 2022-06-14) |
| How deals are disclosed | NIL Go for third-party deals of $600 or more within five business days (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). Northwestern's policy says "All NIL activities must be disclosed, as determined by Northwestern Athletics, and within 7 calendar days of entering into an agreement, no matter how informal", with the type of transaction, the date, the third party's name and contact information, the value and documentation such as a screenshot of the post. Any single agreement of $500 or more "must be formalized in a written contract and disclosed to Northwestern University prior to the execution of said agreement and before any compensation is received". The policy names no disclosure portal. Illinois law has athletes disclose deals as the school prescribes (110 ILCS 190/20(c)) | Northwestern NIL Policy, Section 4; NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; 110 ILCS 190 |
| Banned categories | The policy expressly prohibits "Gambling, sports betting, adult entertainment, controlled substances, cannabis (including CBD and THC), tobacco or alcohol products or brands, performance enhancing supplements (as listed on the NCAA banned substance list)", activities that may conflict with Northwestern's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion or with the Northwestern Student Handbook or Student-Athlete Handbook, and any product or service reasonably considered to bring public disrepute on Northwestern. Athletes may not sell or trade equipment, apparel, awards or complimentary admissions provided by the department, and the policy suggests a Dietary Supplement Review from Northwestern Sports Nutrition before endorsing supplements or performance foods and drinks. Illinois law bans the same core categories (110 ILCS 190/20(i)) | Northwestern NIL Policy, Section 3; 110 ILCS 190/20(i) |
| School marks and group licensing | The policy says athletes "are not permitted to include any visible Northwestern trademarks or logos in any NIL activities without prior, written approval from the University or Conference", including while wearing Northwestern-branded apparel, and that during competition and institution-sponsored events athletes wear only the branded gear Northwestern requires. Northwestern published in 2023 that its field hockey team joined a national "Team Dunkin'" campaign, which the release called the first of its kind "utilizing official school IP combined with athlete NIL at scale", and in 2024 that 275 athletes were represented in the Northwestern NIL Store by Campus Ink. No group licensing policy is published | Northwestern NIL Policy, Section 3; Northwestern Athletics releases (2023-03-20, 2024-03-14) |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission puts the 2026-27 cap at approximately $21.58 million per school and lists Northwestern as a participating school. Jackson's letter of 2025-07-23 says the House settlement "marks a future that includes revenue sharing and expanded scholarships" and that Christian Sarkisian was hired as general manager "to oversee our revenue-share and NIL operations". Northwestern publishes no amount or per-sport breakdown | College Sports Commission; Northwestern Athletics, "Northwestern Athletics and Recreation Update" (2025-07-23) |
| Collective or NIL group | Jackson's letter of 2025-07-23 says "The Wildcat Fund is also now the primary way for you to support our student-athletes, a role previously complemented by our NIL collective, TrueNU", and thanks TrueNU's executive director and board. The letter calls the Wildcat Fund "a tax-deductible annual fund". No TrueNU website was found on 2026-10-21; its former address now leads to an unrelated site. In 2024 Northwestern launched the Northwestern Exchange, an NIL business registry built with INFLCR (2024-03-14), and reported deals secured by Northwestern Sports Properties, a division of Learfield; the Exchange's address returned not found on 2026-10-21 | Northwestern Athletics, Athletics and Recreation Update (2025-07-23) and Northwestern Exchange release (2024-03-14) |
| Agents and representation | The policy lets athletes obtain an agent, financial advisor or attorney "only in relation to NIL or to secure a publicity rights agreement", at their own cost, with written notice and a copy of the representation agreement to Northwestern Athletics within 7 days; an agent for a professional career may lead to permanent ineligibility, and NIL agreements may not run past the date the athlete exhausts eligibility at Northwestern. Northwestern's separate Policy Concerning Athlete Agents, written for agents in "contract negotiations with professional sports teams and/or contract negotiations with companies for endorsement deals", discourages contact from agents seeking to represent athletes as professionals unless they register with Northwestern Athletics; registration expires each June 30. Illinois has no athlete agent registration law, and 110 ILCS 190/25 limits a representation agreement to the athlete's participation at the school | Northwestern NIL Policy, Section 4; Northwestern Policy Concerning Athlete Agents; 110 ILCS 190 |
| Compliance contact | Northwestern Athletics Compliance Office; NIL questions go to nudarcompliance@northwestern.edu, according to the compliance page. Possible NCAA violations can be reported to the compliance staff or through Northwestern's EthicsPoint line, 866-294-3545 | Northwestern Athletics, Compliance |
| State law | In force. Illinois' Student-Athlete Endorsement Rights Act (110 ILCS 190) covers private colleges such as Northwestern; athletes disclose deals as the school prescribes, deals of $500 or more need a written contract, set categories are banned and, since 2025-01-01, schools may pay athletes where a settlement or rule allows | /nil/college/illinois |
What is specific to Northwestern
Northwestern is a private university, and Illinois' NIL statute applies to it as it does to public campuses. Its published NIL policy (PDF created 2022-06-14) was written to the 2021 statute, with the 2022 amendment text attached, before Illinois let schools pay athletes (2025-01-01) and before the House settlement; it says Northwestern will not provide compensation to athletes or negotiate their deals. Jackson's 2025-07-23 letter describes the department after the settlement: a general manager for "revenue-share and NIL operations", a chief revenue officer and a chief operating officer, and the Wildcat Fund as "now the primary way" to support athletes, "a role previously complemented by our NIL collective, TrueNU". Northwestern's policy also carries two rules of its own: a ban on activities that conflict with its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and a suggested Dietary Supplement Review before endorsing supplements or energy drinks. Jackson also signed the 2026-09-18 letter from Illinois' 13 Division I athletic directors supporting the federal Protect College Sports Act.
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 Northwestern
Does Northwestern pay its athletes?
The College Sports Commission lists Northwestern as a participating school for 2026-27, when the revenue sharing cap is approximately $21.58 million per school, and Northwestern's 2025-07-23 athletics update says a general manager oversees its "revenue-share and NIL operations". Northwestern has not published an amount. Its NIL policy, created in 2022 and still linked from the compliance page, says the University shall not provide compensation to athletes; it predates Illinois' 2025 change allowing school pay and the House settlement.
Is TrueNU still Northwestern's NIL collective?
Northwestern's athletics leader wrote on 2025-07-23 that the Wildcat Fund "is also now the primary way" to support Northwestern athletes, "a role previously complemented by our NIL collective, TrueNU". Northwestern has not published anything newer on TrueNU, and no live TrueNU website was found on 2026-10-21.
How do Northwestern athletes report NIL deals?
Northwestern's policy says all NIL activities are disclosed within 7 calendar days of an agreement, and deals of $500 or more are written contracts disclosed to Northwestern before signing and before payment. NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2 and 22.2.2.2 also send third-party deals of $600 or more to NIL Go within five business days. Questions go to nudarcompliance@northwestern.edu.
Can Northwestern athletes wear Northwestern gear in NIL ads?
Not without approval. The policy says athletes may not include visible Northwestern trademarks or logos in NIL activities, including by wearing Northwestern-branded apparel, without prior written approval from the University or the Big Ten.
Does Illinois NIL law apply to Northwestern as a private school?
Yes. Illinois' Student-Athlete Endorsement Rights Act covers private universities and colleges as well as public ones, and Northwestern's policy says it was adopted consistent with that act. The act's banned categories, its $500 written-contract rule and its limit on representation agreements apply to Northwestern athletes.
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