Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of San Diego, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what University of San Diego, its conference, the state of California 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 San Diego
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | "Policy and Procedure for Name, Image and Likeness", "as of August 27, 2025", posted on USD Athletics' SanDiegoNIL.com. It lets athletes earn NIL pay, sign with an NIL agent and say they are USD athletes without implying USD sponsorship; bars NIL content made during official team activity, missing required academic or athletic activity, implying a USD team endorsement, selling USD-issued gear before eligibility ends, and NIL pay as a recruiting inducement; and says USD may compensate an athlete for NIL and may not "Prohibit, penalize, or retaliate against a student-athlete for exercising the student-athlete's rights". Each athlete attests to the policy. A denied activity can be appealed in writing to the Director of NIL within 14 days | USD Athletics, USD NIL Policy (2025-08-27) |
| How deals are disclosed | The 2025 policy says athletes "shall disclose all NIL related activity of monetary value or in-kind to the institution via Influencer within 30 days of entering into the agreement", including terms, the people involved and any agent and agent fee; incoming first-year and transfer athletes disclose active NIL agreements before enrolling. The policy adds NIL Go within five business days for deals over $600; NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2 and 22.2.2.2 cover third-party deals of $600 or more. The 2023-24 Scholar-Athlete Handbook named the JumpForward NIL Activity Disclosure Form instead, citing California law. Cal. Educ. Code § 67456(e)(2) has each NIL contract disclosed to an official the school designates | USD NIL Policy (2025-08-27); USD Scholar-Athlete Handbook 2023-24; NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/california |
| Banned categories | California's statute lists none. USD's NIL FAQ (posted 2024-11-12, repeated on SanDiegoNIL.com) bars NIL deals promoting gambling, sports betting, controlled substances, tobacco, marijuana, and "Any product, brand, or company that conflicts with the values & mission of the University or reflects adversely on the University or Athletics". The 2025 policy bars promoting illegal activities or illegal drugs, deals that conflict with a team's existing sponsors in the same category, and activity that violates the USD Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities or reflects poorly on USD or USD Athletics | USD NIL FAQ (2024-11-12); USD NIL Policy (2025-08-27); /nil/college/california |
| School marks and group licensing | "USD Athletics owns the rights to our logos, marks, and intellectual property. Any use of our IP as part of an NIL deal without express written permission is prohibited." Questions about marks, official partners or facilities go to the Director of NIL. USD names Influxer its official NIL merchandise provider for personalized, licensed athlete apparel. A group licensing program was not published | USD NIL Policy (2025-08-27); SanDiegoNIL.com |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission lists USD as participating in 2026-27 and puts the cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school" (read 2026-10-23). USD launched the Championship Investment Fund (story dated May 12, 2025) as "USD's internal response to the new revenue-sharing landscape", administered by the Torero Athletic Fund, with coaches and administrators allocating resources. Executive Director of Athletics Kimya Massey's letter of 2025-06-17 says USD was adding a Chief Revenue Officer "to guide our approach to revenue sharing", and USD named Daniel Nunes its first Chief Revenue Officer on 2025-09-16. No USD breakdown of the money was published | College Sports Commission; USD Athletics, Championship Investment Fund, Letter from Kimya Massey (2025-06-17) and Daniel Nunes named Chief Revenue Officer (2025-09-16) |
| Collective or NIL group | Olé Foundation. USD announced it on 2024-05-02 as its official NIL partner, founded by USD alumni; USD's NIL FAQ calls it "the preferred Collective" and says USD and the foundation "work together, but operate as separate entities". Massey's 2025-06-17 letter says the Olé Foundation "will place a strong emphasis on Football NIL and will also serve as a marketing agency for our department", and that the Championship Investment Fund is now "the preferred fund for supporting our athletes". USD's official marketplace is the Torero Exchange (Teamworks Influencer, 2024-04-18), where USD and Influencer take no part in negotiations | USD Athletics, Olé Foundation release (2024-05-02), Torero Exchange release (2024-04-18), Letter from Kimya Massey (2025-06-17); USD NIL FAQ (2024-11-12) |
| Agents and representation | The 2025 policy lets an NIL agent advise, negotiate and market NIL activity but not market athletic ability for a pro career; agents are disclosed with the deal. USD's NIL Agent and Advisor Registration form says agents "must be registered with the State of California" and attach the registration and their representation agreements, and has agents certify they will notify USD Compliance before contacting an athlete. SanDiegoNIL.com's student-athlete FAQ says an agent "must be approved by USD compliance in accordance with California state law". California § 67456(c)(2) requires athlete agents to be licensed under the Miller-Ayala Act | USD NIL Policy (2025-08-27); USD NIL Agent and Advisor Registration; SanDiegoNIL.com Student-Athlete page; USD Compliance, Agents; /nil/college/california |
| Compliance contact | USD Athletics Compliance Office, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110: Jacob Heuett, Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance, (619) 260-5929. NIL questions go to Lauren Kirby, Director of Name, Image, and Likeness, laurenkirby@sandiego.edu | USD Compliance, Contact Staff; USD Athletics, NIL page |
| State law | In force. Cal. Educ. Code § 67456, the Fair Pay to Play Act (operative 2021-09-01), covers private universities such as USD, has athletes disclose each NIL contract to a school-designated official, requires agents to be licensed under the Miller-Ayala Act, and lists no banned categories | /nil/college/california |
What is specific to San Diego
The University of San Diego, which describes itself as "a Catholic university with a global conscience" governed by an independent board of trustees, is not San Diego State (a public university in the Pac-12 since 2026-07-01) or UC San Diego (which the WCC says joins as a competing member in 2027-28). USD publishes detailed NIL rules: a dated 2025 policy with a 30-day Influencer disclosure window, a written appeal to the Director of NIL within 14 days of a denial, an attestation every athlete signs, and a registration form that asks NIL agents for their California registration and their contracts with USD athletes. It runs a dedicated NIL hub, SanDiegoNIL.com (launched 2025-04-16), with a Director of NIL and education partners named on the hub, including Wasserman for social media, Technology Credit Union for financial literacy and the USD Legal Clinic with Dealiyo for legal education. Its money has two channels: the alumni-founded Olé Foundation, which USD said in 2025 would place "a strong emphasis on Football NIL", and the Championship Investment Fund, managed by USD Athletics, for revenue sharing.
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 San Diego
Does the University of San Diego pay its athletes?
The College Sports Commission lists USD as a participating revenue-sharing school for 2026-27, with a cap of about $21.58 million per school. USD's 2025 NIL policy also says USD may compensate an athlete for use of their NIL. USD has not published how much it pays or how it divides the money.
How do USD Toreros athletes report NIL deals?
USD's policy dated August 27, 2025 calls for disclosure of all NIL activity with monetary or in-kind value through Influencer within 30 days of entering the agreement, and NIL Go reporting within five business days for deals over $600 (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2 and 22.2.2.2 set the NIL Go line at $600 or more). Incoming and transfer athletes disclose active deals before enrolling.
What NIL collective works with the University of San Diego?
The Olé Foundation, which USD's NIL FAQ calls its preferred collective and a separate entity. USD's athletic director wrote in June 2025 that the foundation would emphasize football NIL and act as a marketing agency for the department, with USD's own Championship Investment Fund as the preferred fund for donors.
What can't USD athletes endorse?
USD's NIL FAQ lists gambling, sports betting, controlled substances, tobacco, marijuana and anything that conflicts with the university's values and mission. The 2025 policy adds illegal activities or drugs and conflicts with a team's existing sponsors in the same category. California law itself lists no banned categories.
Is the University of San Diego the same as San Diego State?
No. The University of San Diego (the Toreros) is a private Catholic university in the West Coast Conference. San Diego State is a public university that joined the Pac-12 on 2026-07-01, and UC San Diego is a separate public university that the WCC says joins as a competing member in 2027-28. Each has its own NIL rules.
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