Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Santa Clara University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what Santa Clara University, 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 Santa Clara
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | "Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Institutional Policy" in the 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook (posted 2026-10-20), in 17 sections covering NCAA and College Sports Commission guidance, permitted activity, associated entities, disclosure, professional services, university intellectual property, conflicts with team contracts, team activities, facility use, restricted categories, financial aid, international, prospective and transfer athletes, institutional revenue sharing and tax reporting. It says SCU "may need to amend or replace this NIL Policy from time-to-time" and that "student-athletes are ultimately responsible for their eligibility and agent representation" | Santa Clara Athletics, Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27 |
| How deals are disclosed | "Per California state laws, SCU student-athletes must disclose any and all NIL activities to SCU Compliance Services through the SCU NIL Disclosure Form in Influencr within 10 days following the activity"; SCU "strongly recommends" disclosing before the activity where possible. Third-party contracts or payment terms of $600 or more, counted in aggregate per payer, go to NIL Go within five business days of signing (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2); transfers report deals signed after entering the portal within 14 days of enrollment or before their first competition. The 2023 NIL Exchange release says partnerships there "will be approved in advance by the Santa Clara Athletics Compliance department" | SCU Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27; Santa Clara Athletics, NIL Exchange launch (2023-08-14); NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/california |
| Banned categories | California's statute lists none. SCU's policy: athletes "may NOT use their NIL to promote gambling, alcohol products, tobacco products, adult entertainment, substances banned by the NCAA, or products or services that are illegal or not consistent with SCU's mission" | SCU Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27; /nil/college/california |
| School marks and group licensing | Athletes may not use SCU trademarks, logos or symbols to endorse a third party or product "without the prior written approval of Santa Clara Athletics Department/Licensing Director. A licensing fee might be required." Athletes may autograph and sell officially licensed memorabilia bearing university marks. Influxer, which SCU calls "an officially licensed vender", sells co-branded apparel with athletes' names and numbers (2024-07-24). A group licensing program was not published | SCU Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27; Santa Clara Athletics, Influxer partnership (2024-07-24) |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission lists Santa Clara as participating in 2026-27 and puts the cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school" (read 2026-10-23). The 2026-27 policy's section 16 says "Select student-athletes may receive institutional revenue share payments (i.e. athletics licensing agreements) in exchange for use of their NIL", processed and paid through Teamworks Wallet; an athlete made ineligible by progress-toward-degree or full-time enrollment rules becomes ineligible for payments from the date that is certified, and no payments are made until the athlete becomes a student-athlete and arrives at the institution for student-athlete activities. The associated-entities section allows NIL pay from donors or sponsors only for "a valid business purpose" at market rates. No Santa Clara breakdown of the money was published | College Sports Commission; SCU Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27 |
| Collective or NIL group | The Mission NIL Collective. Santa Clara Athletics announced its launch on 2022-11-16, powered by Student-Athlete NIL (SANIL), and the release says it "is not affiliated in any way with Santa Clara University. It is a third party created to work with Santa Clara student-athletes." Releases of 2023-08-14 and 2024-07-24 name The Mission NIL among SCU's NIL efforts, alongside the Santa Clara NIL Exchange (INFLCR, launched 2023-08-14). The 2024 release links themissionnil.com, which did not load on 2026-10-23; the collective's status on that date was not confirmed | Santa Clara Athletics, The Mission NIL Collective launch (2022-11-16), NIL Exchange launch (2023-08-14) and Influxer partnership (2024-07-24) |
| Agents and representation | The 2026-27 policy allows agents for NIL only, not future professional representation; "Any NIL agent must be registered to do business in the state of California and register with SCU Compliance Services", and NIL pay must come from the business, not the agent (Bylaw 22.3.2). SCU's Agent Protocol (effective July 2016) defines agents broadly to include "marketing representatives, brand managers", requires registration with SCU (renewed every two years) and a copy of the Athlete Agent Disclosure Statement filed with the California Secretary of State under the Miller-Ayala Act, and notice to Compliance before any contact. California § 67456(c)(2) requires athlete agents to be licensed under the Miller-Ayala Act | SCU Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27; Santa Clara Athletics, Agent Protocol (2016); /nil/college/california |
| Compliance contact | SCU Compliance Services (Academics, Compliance and Student Services). Dr. Jessica Everhart, Senior Associate Athletic Director, Academics, Compliance and Student Services, jeverhart@scu.edu, 408-554-5588; Irene Chavez, Assistant Athletic Director, Compliance, ichavez@scu.edu, 408-554-4568. The Associate Athletic Director, Compliance post is shown as TBD in the handbook and open in the staff directory | SCU Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27; Santa Clara Athletics, Staff Directory |
| State law | In force. Cal. Educ. Code § 67456, the Fair Pay to Play Act (operative 2021-09-01), covers private universities such as Santa Clara, 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 Santa Clara
Santa Clara, a Jesuit university in Silicon Valley, keeps its NIL rules in its newest handbook, and they are recent: the 2026-27 handbook went up on 2026-10-20 and already writes in the College Sports Commission, NIL Go's aggregate $600 rule and the transfer-portal reporting window. Two features stand out in SCU's text. Its disclosure clock runs "within 10 days following the activity", not from signing, and it has its own associated-entities test for donor and sponsor deals. The same policy describes institutional revenue share payments as "athletics licensing agreements" for use of an athlete's NIL, paid through Teamworks Wallet. Its agent rule goes beyond California's Miller-Ayala filing: an NIL agent must be registered to do business in California and with SCU, and the older 2016 protocol counts brand managers and marketing representatives as agents. The NIL Exchange release of 2023 pitched the platform as a way to connect athletes "directly to the Silicon Valley business community".
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 Santa Clara
Does Santa Clara pay its athletes?
The College Sports Commission lists Santa Clara University as a participating revenue-sharing school for 2026-27, with a cap of about $21.58 million per school. SCU's 2026-27 NIL policy says select athletes may receive institutional revenue share payments (athletics licensing agreements for use of their NIL), paid through Teamworks Wallet. SCU has not published how many athletes are paid or how the money is divided.
How do Santa Clara Broncos athletes report NIL deals?
SCU's 2026-27 policy calls for disclosing all NIL activity through the SCU NIL Disclosure Form in Influencer within 10 days following the activity, and recommends disclosing beforehand where possible. Third-party deals of $600 or more, counted together per payer, also go to NIL Go within five business days of signing.
What can't Santa Clara athletes endorse?
The policy bars using NIL to promote gambling, alcohol products, tobacco products, adult entertainment, NCAA-banned substances, or products or services that are illegal or not consistent with SCU's mission. Using SCU logos needs prior written approval and may carry a licensing fee.
Does an NIL agent need to register with Santa Clara?
Yes, under the 2026-27 policy: any NIL agent must be registered to do business in California and register with SCU Compliance Services, and may represent the athlete for NIL only. California law separately requires athlete agents to be licensed under the Miller-Ayala Athlete Agents Act.
Is there a Santa Clara NIL collective?
The Mission NIL Collective, launched in 2022, which Santa Clara Athletics' release describes as a third party "not affiliated in any way with Santa Clara University". Its website did not load on 2026-10-23 and its current status was not confirmed. SCU's official marketplace is the Santa Clara NIL Exchange on INFLCR.
Be your own agent. Leave.
