Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, its conference, the state of New Jersey 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 Rutgers
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | Rutgers posts two NIL policies. The "Rutgers Name, Image, and Likeness Institutional Policy" says "This policy is as of July 10, 2024" and covers definitions, compensation rules, institutional involvement, collectives, professional service providers, disclosure, taxes and international athletes. An earlier version under the same title, "as of December 20, 2022", is still posted; it describes the New Jersey Fair Play Act (FPA) as "scheduled to take effect in the Fall of 2025" and has a banned-category list and team-contract rules the 2024 version dropped. The 2024 version still recommends that NIL representation "meet the requirements of the FPA". New Jersey repealed the Fair Play Act on 2025-07-22 (P.L.2025, c.110), after both versions. Both say Rutgers may change the policy "at any time for any reason". Rutgers' compliance page links neither version; its NIL section points to R NIL | Rutgers Athletics, NIL Institutional Policy (2024-07-10); NIL Institutional Policy (2022-12-20); Office of Athletic Compliance; /nil/college/new-jersey |
| 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). The 2024 Rutgers policy says an athlete with a deal of "$600 or above" is "encouraged to disclose the agreement or contract to the Office of Athletic Compliance via INFLCR to receive institutional NIL assistance and services", and that before any NIL activity, paid or unpaid, the athlete "should complete the disclosure form via INFLCR", covering the transaction, compensation, professional service providers and relationships. The 2022 policy said athletes "shall disclose" and "must complete" the form. Neither mentions NIL Go. New Jersey's 2025 law repealed the state disclosure rule and set none in its place | Rutgers NIL Institutional Policy (2024-07-10 and 2022-12-20); NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/new-jersey |
| Banned categories | New Jersey law bars athletes under 21 from NIL pay connected with alcohol products, tobacco and electronic smoking products and devices, or cannabis products (N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-89.3(c)). Rutgers' 2024 policy has no category list. Its 2022 policy, still posted, barred deals tied to adult entertainment, alcohol, casinos and gambling including sports betting and the lottery, tobacco and electronic smoking products, prescription pharmaceuticals, controlled dangerous substances, and weapons, with scholarship loss once the Fair Play Act took effect; that act was repealed on 2025-07-22 | Rutgers NIL Institutional Policy (2022-12-20 and 2024-07-10); /nil/college/new-jersey |
| School marks and group licensing | The 2024 policy defines an Institutional Mark as any name or identifying mark of Rutgers and says marks "are not permitted to be used by any individual or entity without prior written authorization of Rutgers University"; use of marks in filming or photography "must be approved by the appropriate university entity", and using marks without approval is listed as impermissible institutional involvement. Rutgers' 2026 R NIL trademark licensing brochure tells brand partners that partnering with Rutgers authorizes "approved products featuring Rutgers marks" and lists NIL collaborations among activations | Rutgers NIL Institutional Policy (2024-07-10); R NIL Trademark Licensing Brochure (2026-08-21) |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission puts the 2026-27 cap at approximately $21.58 million per school and lists Rutgers, New Brunswick as a participating school. Rutgers Athletics' release of 2025-10-06 says the Athletic Excellence Fund, donations that are tax deductible and earn Priority Points, "will provide critical support for revenue-sharing with Rutgers student-athletes". On 2025-10-22 Rutgers named a Senior Associate Athletic Director, Revenue and Contract Management, to manage institutional NIL agreements and oversee "the cap management system and clearinghouse reporting". Rutgers publishes no total, per-sport or per-athlete figure. New Jersey law lets a school or related entity pay athletes directly for NIL (N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-89.3(b)) | Rutgers Athletics releases (2025-10-06, 2025-10-22); College Sports Commission |
| Collective or NIL group | Rutgers' "Rutgers NIL Collectives" page lists Knights of the Raritan and Knight Society. On 2026-10-21 neither address listed there led to the collective. Rutgers' 2024-11-13 release launched the YOUKNIGHTED membership with Knights of the Raritan, and R Fund releases of 2025-04-01 and 2025-05-22 report more than $1.3 million contributed to YouKnighted in March 2025, "all going directly to current and future Scarlet Knight student-athletes". Since October 2025 Rutgers has run R NIL itself, first through Scarlet Assets Management Company (SAMCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of the University announced on 2024-03-12, and then through Scarlet Knight Enterprises, Inc., announced on 2026-03-03, which absorbs SAMCO | Rutgers Athletics, Rutgers NIL Collectives page; releases (2024-03-12, 2024-11-13, 2025-04-01, 2025-05-22, 2025-10-06, 2026-01-20, 2026-03-03) |
| Agents and representation | The 2024 policy says Rutgers "may not prevent or restrict" an athlete from representation by a Professional Service Provider (an agent, tax advisor, marketing consultant, attorney or anyone associated with them) "for the sole purpose of representing the student-athlete in matters pertaining to" NIL, and says "It is recommended that any representation by a Professional Service Provider meet the requirements of the FPA", the Fair Play Act repealed in 2025. Rutgers' Agent Program (last updated 2024-03-19) registers agents for professional-sports representation and counts marketing representatives and brand managers as agents for that program. State law: New Jersey bars a school from stopping an athlete from obtaining representation; agents comply with the federal Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act and act as fiduciaries; no New Jersey agent registration statute was found (N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-89.4) | Rutgers NIL Institutional Policy (2024-07-10); Rutgers Agent Program; /nil/college/new-jersey |
| Compliance contact | Rutgers University Office of Athletic Compliance, organized with a compliance liaison for each sport; contacts are on the Athletic Compliance Department staff directory, and possible violations can be reported through the University's anonymous compliance hotline | Rutgers Athletics, Office of Athletic Compliance |
| State law | New Jersey's college NIL law, P.L.2025, c.110 (N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-89.2 to 89.8), has been in force since 2025-07-22: schools and related entities may pay athletes directly, athletes under 21 may not take alcohol, tobacco or cannabis deals, NIL contracts are exempt from OPRA, and there is no state disclosure rule | /nil/college/new-jersey |
What is specific to Rutgers
Rutgers runs its NIL operation through University-owned companies. On 2024-03-12 it announced Scarlet Assets Management Company (SAMCO), "a private and wholly owned subsidiary of the university", to manage multimedia and naming rights, merchandise and ticket sales; in October 2025 it launched R NIL, which its release calls "the Scarlet Knights' Name, Image and Likeness agency", designed to secure partnerships for athletes "through Scarlet Assets Management Company (SAMCO)", alongside the donor-funded Athletic Excellence Fund for revenue sharing; in January 2026 Rutgers and SAMCO named a Vice President, R NIL; and on 2026-03-03 Rutgers announced Scarlet Knight Enterprises, Inc., which "will absorb the existing organizational structure" of SAMCO and "will also function as a full-service marketing agency" developing "premium NIL opportunities", with Oliver Luck as board chair. Rutgers' releases pitch brands on location: they cite more than 120 Fortune 500 companies in the New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia footprint and call Rutgers the nation's No. 1 media market. The posted NIL policies have not caught up: the newest is dated July 10, 2024, before New Jersey's 2025 law, and still points to the repealed Fair Play 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 Rutgers
Does Rutgers pay its athletes?
Rutgers shares revenue with athletes. Its 2025-10-06 release says the Athletic Excellence Fund "will provide critical support for revenue-sharing with Rutgers student-athletes", and the College Sports Commission lists Rutgers as a participating school for 2026-27, when the cap is approximately $21.58 million per school. New Jersey law also lets Rutgers pay athletes directly for NIL. Rutgers publishes no per-athlete amounts.
What is R NIL at Rutgers?
R NIL is Rutgers Athletics' own NIL program, launched in October 2025, which Rutgers calls the Scarlet Knights' Name, Image and Likeness agency. It was set up through Scarlet Assets Management Company, a wholly owned Rutgers subsidiary, and since 2026-03-03 sits within Scarlet Knight Enterprises, Inc., which Rutgers says will function as a full-service marketing agency and connect athletes with brands. A Vice President, R NIL was named on 2026-01-20.
What NIL collective works with Rutgers?
Rutgers' NIL collectives page lists Knights of the Raritan and Knight Society, but on 2026-10-21 neither address it lists led to the collective. Rutgers' R Fund reported in 2025 that its YouKnighted campaign with Knights of the Raritan raised more than $1.3 million in March 2025. Since October 2025 Rutgers' published NIL work runs through its own R NIL program.
How do Rutgers athletes report NIL deals?
Deals of $600 or more with third parties go to NIL Go within five business days (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). Rutgers' posted policy of July 10, 2024 says athletes are encouraged to disclose deals of $600 or more to the Office of Athletic Compliance through INFLCR, and should complete the INFLCR disclosure form before NIL activity. New Jersey law has no disclosure rule since 2025.
Are there NIL deals Rutgers athletes cannot take?
New Jersey law bars athletes under 21 from NIL pay tied to alcohol, tobacco and vaping, or cannabis products (N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-89.3(c)). Rutgers' July 2024 policy has no category list of its own; an older 2022 Rutgers policy still posted lists adult entertainment, alcohol, gambling, tobacco, prescription drugs, controlled substances and weapons.
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