Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of Portland, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what University of Portland, its conference, the state of Oregon 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 Portland
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | No standalone NIL policy is posted. The "Name, Image, and Likeness" section of the 2025-26 Student-Athlete Handbook (posted 2025-08-12, the latest found) describes Oregon's SB 5, says a permissible NIL deal "must be a quid pro quo", and says UP "does not permit student-athletes to enter into agreements that, in the University of Portland's sole discretion, are in conflict with our values as a Catholic institution", in addition to conflicts with team rules or UP's third-party contracts | University of Portland Student-Athlete Handbook 2025-26 |
| How deals are disclosed | The handbook says athletes "must notify the Department of Athletics in writing, via the Opendorse platform or by emailing Senior Associate Athletic Director Jason Brough (brough@up.edu), prior to entering into an agreement for the use of your NIL rights or any agreement for professional representation", and "Once the activity is cleared, you may engage in the activities disclosed." NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2 and 22.2.2.2 add NIL Go reports for third-party deals of $600 or more within five business days. Oregon law requires disclosure to the school only to show the deal fits team rules and school contracts | UP Student-Athlete Handbook 2025-26; NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/oregon |
| Banned categories | Oregon's statute lists none but lets a school enforce a conduct code that applies to all students. UP's own rule bars agreements that, in UP's "sole discretion", conflict with its values as a Catholic institution, and deals that conflict with team rules or a UP contract (the handbook names Nike as an example). No list of barred product categories is published | UP Student-Athlete Handbook 2025-26; /nil/college/oregon |
| School marks and group licensing | Not published. No UP rule on athletes' use of UP marks in NIL was found. UP's June 2025 letter mentions custom player apparel sold through the "Portland Athlete's Thread Team Store" | UP Athletics, letter regarding House settlement (2025-06-11) |
| Revenue sharing | Vice President Scott Leykam's letter (2025-06-11) says revenue sharing funds are "similar in nature to NIL", that "all revenue, including tax-deductible donations to UP Athletics, will be eligible for revenue sharing", and that the department identified budget reallocation and cost savings to absorb it. The 2025-26 handbook says some scholarship "resources" under the House agreement are paid through Teamworks Wallet. The College Sports Commission lists the University of Portland as participating in 2026-27 and puts the cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school" | UP Athletics letter (2025-06-11); UP Student-Athlete Handbook 2025-26; College Sports Commission (read 2026-10-23) |
| Collective or NIL group | Back the Bluff, launched 2022-12-19 as UP's "first donor-led NIL collective" and named "the preferred collective for the UP Athletic Department". UP's June 2025 letter calls it "the primary external NIL Collective supporting UP student-athletes" and says it "will remain open through 2025. After that time, we will assess the value of the collective". Its website still loaded on 2026-10-23, calling itself the preferred collective and saying it shares "no affiliation" with UP, and the UP Athletics site menu still linked it that day. Fans and businesses can also reach athletes through the Opendorse Pilots Marketplace | UP Athletics releases (2022-12-19, 2025-06-11); Back the Bluff website; Opendorse Portland Pilots Marketplace |
| Agents and representation | The handbook allows an outside representative to market an athlete's NIL, who "must be registered with the State of Oregon and the University of Portland Compliance Office" and may not negotiate with a professional team. UP's agents page asks agents to register with the relevant professional league, the Oregon Department of Education and UP, to give two hours' notice of any meeting and to meet on campus. Athletes report any agent contact to the Assistant AD for Compliance "immediately". Oregon registers athlete agents ($250 first application, two years) | UP Student-Athlete Handbook 2025-26; UP Athletics, Agents page; /nil/college/oregon |
| Compliance contact | UP Athletics Compliance Office; Assistant Athletic Director, Compliance and Student Services Eric Sickles, sicklese@up.edu, 503-943-7127. NIL contact Jason Brough, brough@up.edu, 503-943-8439 | UP Athletics, NCAA Compliance page; UP Athletics letter (2025-06-11) |
| State law | ORS 702.200 covers Oregon-based accredited private colleges such as UP; since 2025-06-26 an Oregon college may pay athletes for NIL, the NCAA and conferences may not penalize schools or athletes over NIL, NIL pay may not be tied to athletic performance and NIL contracts a school holds are confidential. In force | /nil/college/oregon |
What is specific to Portland
UP is a Catholic, Holy Cross university and its NIL texts lean on service and that identity. Back the Bluff, the donor collective UP has called its preferred partner, was built to pay Pilots for work with local nonprofits, schools and youth programs, and UP's handbook reserves the right to refuse deals that conflict with its Catholic values. UP's June 2025 letter then pointed donors toward revenue sharing, saying gifts to UP Athletics, unlike gifts to Back the Bluff, are tax deductible and count toward revenue sharing, and that the collective would be reassessed after 2025. UP's handbook also asks for written notice before an athlete signs, not after.
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 Portland
Does the University of Portland pay its athletes?
The College Sports Commission lists UP as a 2026-27 revenue-sharing school, with a cap of about $21.58 million per school, and UP's athletics vice president wrote in June 2025 that donations to UP Athletics are eligible for revenue sharing. UP has not published how it divides that money.
What NIL collective works with Portland Pilots athletes?
Back the Bluff, which UP has called its preferred collective since 2022. UP's June 2025 letter said it would stay open through 2025 and then be reassessed; its website still loaded on 2026-10-23. UP also points fans to the Opendorse Pilots Marketplace.
When do Portland athletes have to report an NIL deal?
Before signing, under UP's 2025-26 handbook: written notice to athletics through Opendorse or by email to the NIL contact, for NIL deals and for representation agreements. Deals of $600 or more from third parties also go to NIL Go within five business days under NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2 and 22.2.2.2.
Is the University of Portland the same as Portland State for NIL?
No. This page covers the University of Portland, a private Catholic university in the West Coast Conference. Portland State is a separate public university in the Big Sky Conference with its own rules; the College Sports Commission lists the two separately.
Does an NIL agent need to register to work with a Portland athlete?
UP's handbook says a representative must be registered with the State of Oregon and UP's Compliance Office. Oregon registers athlete agents through the Department of Education, and UP's agents page asks for notice before meetings, which take place on campus.
Be your own agent. Leave.
