Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Princeton University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what Princeton University, its conference, the state of New Jersey 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 Princeton
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | Princeton University Student-Athlete Name, Image Likeness Policy, on the athletics site as a web page and as a PDF posted 2026-09-17 (the file name still reads "May 2023"; the PDF carries no date). It allows pay "for actual work, business or NIL activity", bars pay "for or as a direct result of participation in intercollegiate athletics", bars pay that "Is not commensurate with market value for similar work, goods, or services" or is contingent on performance, and bars the University, coaches, faculty and staff from arranging commercial NIL. An earlier version (posted 2023-05-24 and again 2024-11-26) and the Student-Athlete Handbook still say all NIL activity is disclosed, with no dollar line | Princeton Athletics, Student-Athlete Name, Image Likeness Policy (PDF posted 2026-09-17); Princeton Athletics, Student-Athlete Handbook |
| 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). Princeton's policy: "When a student-athlete agrees to an NIL opportunity, they are required to disclose the opportunity to the Athletics Compliance office via Opendorse", and deals "initiated outside of Opendorse" are allowed if disclosed there. "For all NIL deals above $600, the deal must additionally be submitted to NIL Go for approval." From 2024-09-09, deals "with a value of $2000 or more must have those agreements also approved by the Ivy League office prior to accepting any payment"; Compliance submits them. The policy's summary list says "All employment and commercial NIL activity above $600 must be disclosed to the University in accordance with any institutional policies, regulations, or procedures." New Jersey law sets no disclosure rule | Princeton Athletics, NIL Policy (2026-09-17); NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/new-jersey |
| Banned categories | Princeton's policy bars NIL pay related to adult entertainment, alcohol, casinos and gambling (including sports betting, the lottery and betting on video, online and mobile games), tobacco and electronic smoking products, cannabis and related products, prescription pharmaceuticals, a controlled dangerous substance, and weapons including firearms and ammunition. New Jersey's 2025 law bars alcohol, tobacco and vaping, and cannabis deals for athletes under 21, at schools that offer athletic scholarships | Princeton Athletics, NIL Policy (2026-09-17); /nil/college/new-jersey |
| School marks and group licensing | NIL activity "may not be related to use of University and Athletics marks, logos or other intellectual property, including but not limited to verbiage or owned and protected designs, i.e. uniforms", and athletes may not use athletic facilities for NIL. The University "will not provide a student-athlete with compensation or royalties related to University, Conference or NCAA use" of the athlete's name, image or likeness. A group licensing program: Not published | Princeton Athletics, NIL Policy (2026-09-17) |
| Revenue sharing | Princeton is not on the College Sports Commission's 2026-27 list of 335 participating schools (read 2026-10-23); the Commission puts the 2026-27 cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school" for schools that take part. No Ivy League statement on revenue sharing was found on ivyleague.com, and no Princeton statement on it was found. The Ivy League describes need-based aid "without granting athletic scholarships" | College Sports Commission, Participating Schools and Revenue Sharing; Ivy League, A League Is Born |
| Collective or NIL group | Not published: no Princeton document found names a collective. Princeton's official marketplace is the Princeton Tigers Marketplace, run with Opendorse since 2023-05-24 for all 38 varsity programs. The policy says alumni, Princeton Varsity Club and Athletics Friends Group members and other representatives of athletics interests "may hire student-athletes for legitimate NIL opportunities" within University, Ivy League and NCAA rules and New Jersey law | Princeton Athletics, Opendorse marketplace announcement (2023-05-24); Princeton Athletics, NIL Policy (2026-09-17) |
| Agents and representation | Princeton's policy allows tax advisors, attorneys and other professionals for NIL "provided the student pays the going rate", not for future professional contracts, and limits representation to NIL activities and "Attorneys licensed by the State of New Jersey"; non-attorney athlete agents comply with the federal Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act. New Jersey law: no state agent registration; agents follow the federal act and attorneys must be licensed (N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-89.4) | Princeton Athletics, NIL Policy (2026-09-17); /nil/college/new-jersey |
| Compliance contact | Princeton Athletics Compliance and Student-Athlete Services, Jadwin Gym; the policy names Greg Busch (gdbusch@princeton.edu) for NIL questions, listed in the staff directory as Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Student-Athlete Experience, 609-258-3751; the directory also lists Maggie Peters, Assistant Director of Athletics, Compliance (mp8331@princeton.edu, 609-258-5312) | Princeton Athletics, NIL Policy (2026-09-17); Princeton Athletics, Staff Directory |
| State law | New Jersey's P.L.2025, c.110 (N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-89.2 to 89.8) lets schools pay athletes directly, limits alcohol, tobacco and cannabis deals for athletes under 21 and exempts NIL contracts from OPRA, but applies only to four-year schools "that offer athletic scholarships"; in force | /nil/college/new-jersey |
What is specific to Princeton
Princeton's policy sends every agreed deal through one app. All current athletes get an Opendorse account, deals made outside the Princeton Tigers Marketplace are allowed if disclosed in Opendorse, and Compliance itself submits deals of $2,000 or more to the Ivy League office, with no pay accepted until that approval is confirmed. The rewritten policy PDF, posted September 17, 2026, adds NIL Go for deals above $600 and the Ivy League $2,000 step, which the earlier PDF did not carry, but still speaks of "pending New Jersey law" and limits NIL lawyers to those licensed in New Jersey, a rule the 2021 Princeton FAQ tied to the 2020 Fair Play Act, since repealed. New Jersey's 2025 law covers schools "that offer athletic scholarships", and Princeton, like every Ivy school, awards aid on need. The policy names Nike as an example of an exclusive contract that NIL deals may not conflict with. The Ivy League guide at /be-your-own-agent/ivy-league compares the eight schools.
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 Princeton
Does Princeton pay its athletes?
Princeton is not on the College Sports Commission's 2026-27 list of schools sharing revenue with athletes, and its NIL policy says the University pays no compensation or royalties for its own, the Ivy League's or the NCAA's use of an athlete's name or image. Athletes can be paid by outside businesses and individuals, including alumni, for legitimate NIL work at market value.
How do Princeton athletes disclose NIL deals?
Through Opendorse: Princeton's policy says an agreed NIL opportunity is disclosed to Athletics Compliance there, even if the deal came from outside the app. Deals above $600 also go to NIL Go, and deals of $2,000 or more go to the Ivy League office through Compliance, with no pay accepted until the league approves.
Does New Jersey's NIL law apply to Princeton?
The 2025 law (P.L.2025, c.110) applies only to four-year schools "that offer athletic scholarships", and the Ivy League describes need-based aid without athletic scholarships. Whether that leaves Princeton outside the act is not settled by the text. Princeton's own policy still refers to "pending New Jersey law".
Can a Princeton athlete hire an agent for NIL?
Princeton's policy allows paid professional help for NIL only, not for future professional contracts, and limits lawyers to those licensed in New Jersey; non-lawyer agents follow the federal Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act. New Jersey has no state athlete-agent registration.
What NIL deals are off-limits at Princeton?
The policy bars deals tied to adult entertainment, alcohol, gambling and sports betting, tobacco and vaping, cannabis, prescription drugs, controlled substances and weapons, deals that conflict with exclusive University contracts such as Nike, any use of University or Athletics marks or uniforms, and NIL work in athletic facilities.
Be your own agent. Leave.
