Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The University of Southern Mississippi, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what The University of Southern Mississippi, its conference, the state of Mississippi 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 Southern Miss
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | "Name, Image, Likeness", the Athletics Compliance Office policy posted 2021-06-30 as a scanned document and still linked from the compliance pages (updated March 12, 2024). It is written under "Mississippi's Intercollegiate Athletics Compensation Rights Act" (the 2021 name of the state law), bars NIL activity during competition, practice, study hall and other mandatory events, bars missing class for NIL, and says no athlete "shall enter into a NIL agreement or receive compensation from a third-party licensee prior to enrolling at USM" | Southern Miss Athletics, NIL Policy (posted 2021-06-30) and Compliance pages |
| How deals are disclosed | Policy: an athlete notifies the Assistant AD for Compliance or the Compliance Coordinator in writing, completes the "Name, Image, and Likeness Approval" form on ARMS and an NIL Agreement Disclaimer form, and notifies compliance "3 days prior to the execution of the agreement OR 3 days prior to the next scheduled contests, whichever is earlier"; changes are reported within 3 days, and long-term agreements are reaffirmed each August. NCAA: third-party deals of $600 or more go to NIL Go within five business days (Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). Mississippi law lets a school require disclosure before a deal is signed (Miss. Code 37-97-105(4)) | Southern Miss Athletics, NIL Policy (2021); NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/mississippi |
| Banned categories | Mississippi's statute bars deals promoting gambling, sports betting, controlled substances, marijuana, tobacco, alternative or electronic nicotine products, alcohol or adult entertainment, or anything reasonably considered inconsistent with the school's values or mission (Miss. Code 37-97-107(7)). Southern Miss's policy lists gambling, sports betting, marijuana, tobacco, alcohol, performance enhancing supplements, adult entertainment and "any other product or service that is reasonably considered to be inconsistent with the values or mission of USM" | Southern Miss Athletics, NIL Policy (2021); /nil/college/mississippi |
| School marks and group licensing | Policy: no NIL activity "on any institutional facilities"; no institutional logos or trademarks "without obtaining written consent from USM prior to the NIL activity"; only USM-approved apparel during competition or university events. Southern Miss named Affinity Licensing its exclusive trademark licensing agency from 2025-01-01. Group licensing: Not published | Southern Miss Athletics, NIL Policy (2021) and Affinity Licensing release (2025-02-11) |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission puts the 2026-27 cap at approximately $21.58 million per school and lists The University of Southern Mississippi as participating in 2026-27 (read 2026-10-23). McClain's 2025-09-18 letter says Southern Miss can "share revenue with select student-athletes" and that donors "can now directly support our student-athletes by making a tax-deductible gift directly to the Southern Miss Athletics Foundation", which raised over $9.5 million in FY25; the department's 2026-07-31 year in review says the athletic foundation raised $9.8 million in the past fiscal year. No revenue-sharing total is published. Mississippi law lets a school share athletics revenue but not from State General Fund money | Southern Miss Athletics, letter from Jeremy McClain (2025-09-18) and 2025-26 year in review; College Sports Commission; /nil/college/mississippi |
| Collective or NIL group | Not published. No Southern Miss athletics page read on 2026-10-23 names a collective. Southern Miss announced the ToTheTop Exchange (INFLCR) on 2021-12-02 as a portal where "approved businesses, collectives, and individuals" contact and pay athletes and where Southern Miss can "customize and manage NIL reporting"; the compliance page still links it (read 2026-10-23) | Southern Miss Athletics, ToTheTop Exchange release (2021-12-02) and Compliance page |
| Agents and representation | Policy: an athlete notifies the Assistant AD for Compliance "7 days prior to the execution" of an NIL representation agreement; the agent "must be registered under the Uniform Athlete Agent Act", and an attorney "must be licensed to practice law in the state of Mississippi and in good standing with The Mississippi Bar". Mississippi law now: an agreement to negotiate NIL pay is an agency contract, agents register with the Secretary of State ($200, two years), agent pay is capped at 20% of the agency contract, agent and athlete notify the athletic director within 72 hours, and the athlete may cancel within 14 days (Miss. Code 73-42) | Southern Miss Athletics, NIL Policy (2021); /nil/college/mississippi |
| Compliance contact | Southern Miss Athletics Compliance Office. Sage Fowler, Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, (601) 266-4460, sage.fowler@usm.edu | Southern Miss Athletics, Compliance page and Staff Directory (read 2026-10-23) |
| State law | In force. Miss. Code 37-97-101 to 37-97-109 lets Mississippi colleges share athletics revenue with athletes or pay for publicity rights (since 2025-07-01), lets a school require disclosure before a deal is signed, bans listed deal categories and keeps deal records out of the Public Records Act | /nil/college/mississippi |
What is specific to Southern Miss
Southern Miss's published NIL rules are short and procedural, and they date from the first day of college NIL. The 2021 policy, a scanned three-page document, sets several short clocks: written notice and an ARMS approval form for any NIL activity, 3 days' notice before signing a deal or before the next contest, 3 days to report a change, 7 days' notice before signing with an agent or attorney, and a yearly August reaffirmation of any long-term deal. It also keeps NIL off campus facilities entirely. Its attorney rule, a Mississippi license in good standing, followed the 2021 statute, which the legislature has since rewritten. On money, McClain's 2025 letter describes revenue sharing with "select student-athletes" funded with donor help, and a record FY25 for the Southern Miss Athletics Foundation.
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 Southern Miss
Does Southern Miss pay its athletes?
Southern Miss shares revenue with "select student-athletes", Athletic Director Jeremy McClain wrote on 2025-09-18, and the College Sports Commission lists Southern Miss as participating in 2026-27, with a cap of approximately $21.58 million per school. Southern Miss has not published totals or how it chooses athletes.
How do Southern Miss athletes report NIL deals?
The 2021 Southern Miss policy requires written notice and an NIL Approval form on ARMS, with notice 3 days before signing or 3 days before the next contest, whichever is earlier. Third-party deals of $600 or more also go to NIL Go within five business days (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2).
What NIL collective works with Southern Miss?
Southern Miss's athletics site names none as of 2026-10-23. It points businesses and collectives to the ToTheTop Exchange, an INFLCR portal for finding and paying Golden Eagle athletes, and McClain's 2025 letter points donors to the Southern Miss Athletics Foundation.
Can Southern Miss athletes do NIL deals on campus?
The 2021 policy says athletes "shall not engage in any NIL activities on any institutional facilities" and may use USM logos or trademarks only with written consent obtained before the activity.
Does an NIL agent need to register in Mississippi?
Yes. Mississippi treats an agreement to negotiate NIL pay as an agency contract: agents register with the Secretary of State, their pay is capped at 20% of the agency contract, and the athlete may cancel within 14 days. Southern Miss's policy also asks athletes to tell compliance 7 days before signing with an agent or attorney.
Be your own agent. Leave.
