Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Stanford University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what Stanford University, its conference, the state of California 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 Stanford
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | "Stanford Athletics Name, Image & Likeness Policy," a page dated August 31, 2021 and linked from the Compliance Services page. Its text has been updated since 2021 (it now refers to NIL Go) but shows no revision date. It still lists "Institutional compensation in exchange for the use of a student-athlete's name, image or likeness" among prohibited NIL agreements. Stanford's newer NIL guidance is the NIL Resources page (FAQs) and the 2026-27 Compliance Booster Guide and Parent Guide (files uploaded 2026-09-22) | Stanford Athletics, NIL Policy page (dated 2021-08-31); Stanford Athletics, NIL Resources; Stanford Compliance, Booster Guide and Parent Guide (2026-27) |
| How deals are disclosed | The 2026-27 Booster Guide says "NCAA student-athletes are required to disclose NIL deals to the College Sports Commission through NIL GO within 5 business days of executing the deal or signing the contract," that non-NCAA sport athletes "submit all deals through Influencer via Teamworks," and that "revenue sharing payments directly from an institution to the athlete do not need to follow these requirements." The NIL policy page says athletes disclose third-party deals to Stanford via NIL Go "within five days of signing them or accepting payment," and encourages them to send drafts early and to "refrain from finalizing agreements until after Stanford has completed its review for conflicts." Under NCAA rules, third-party deals worth $600 or more are reported in NIL Go within five business days (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2) | Stanford Compliance, Booster Guide (2026-27); Stanford Athletics, NIL Policy page; NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27 |
| Banned categories | California's statute lists none (Educ. Code § 67456), and Stanford's NIL Resources page says "There are no express state law restrictions on the types of industries." Stanford's policy lists industries that conflict with current Stanford contracts, "including, but not limited to," athletic apparel, athletic equipment, and sports drinks and beverages, and says NIL activities that promote illegal drug use, illegal sports wagering or academic misconduct "may jeopardize eligibility." Athletes may not miss or work during official team activities, may not use or sell team-issued apparel, and may not use Stanford housing, facilities or equipment for NIL. NIL Resources adds that athletes who sign NIL agreements with Stanford itself "may be subject to additional restrictions beyond those outlined by the NCAA" | Stanford Athletics, NIL Policy page; Stanford Athletics, NIL Resources |
| School marks and group licensing | The policy and the 2026-27 Parent Guide say athletes "are not permitted to use Stanford marks or logos in conjunction with NIL activities." The policy's exception allows agreements with licensed vendors that combine Stanford's name and marks with an athlete's NIL "if approved by the Stanford Trademark Licensing Office," and athletes may identify themselves as Stanford athletes by sport and position. In 2022 Stanford joined the Fanatics and OneTeam Partners co-branded football jersey program, which football players could opt into. On 2026-10-07 Stanford announced that 11 athletes had joined Nike's Blue Ribbon Elite NIL program | Stanford Athletics, NIL Policy page; Stanford Compliance, Parent Guide (2026-27); Stanford Athletics, releases of 2022-02-15 and 2026-10-07 |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission puts the 2026-27 cap at approximately $21.58 million per school. Stanford announced on 2025-03-10 that it would "increase scholarship totals and introduce a revenue-sharing model" starting in 2025-26 and "intends to fund the investment entirely through incremental athletics revenue and philanthropic support." President Jonathan Levin said, "The amount we make available for revenue-sharing with student-athletes will depend on the amount of incremental athletics revenue and philanthropic support we receive." Stanford appears on the College Sports Commission's 2026-27 participating schools list. A Stanford figure for 2025-26 or 2026-27 is not published | Stanford Report, "Stanford to introduce revenue-sharing model for athletes" (2025-03-10, Internet Archive copy); College Sports Commission, Revenue Sharing and Participating Schools pages |
| Collective or NIL group | Stanford's NIL pages name no collective (checked 2026-10-21). Its policy says a student-athlete may sign an NIL agreement with a Stanford booster only if the booster "has no authority over intercollegiate athletics," pay is tied only to NIL, is not for athletic participation or enrollment, matches fair market value, and the athlete discloses the booster connection "to the best of their ability." On 2024-02-01 Stanford announced an in-house NIL general manager position created with Altius Sports Partners, which it said "will recruit, train, and oversee the NIL General Manager and support all facets of Stanford's strengthened NIL program" | Stanford Athletics, NIL Policy page and release of 2024-02-01 |
| Agents and representation | The policy says athletes "may retain professional representation, including but not limited to representation provided by athlete agents or legal representation provided by attorneys," for NIL only and "not for future professional contract negotiations." Representatives "must be licensed by the appropriate licensing authority in the state of California" and "must demonstrate proper licensure under state law," and athletes disclose any agreement with or representation by a professional service provider on the Student-Athlete Professional Service Provider Disclosure Form in the ARMS compliance system. California law says representation comes from athlete agents licensed under the Miller-Ayala Athlete Agents Act and attorneys licensed by the state (Educ. Code § 67456(c)) | Stanford Athletics, NIL Policy page; Stanford Compliance, Parent Guide (2026-27); /nil/college/california |
| Compliance contact | Stanford Athletics Compliance Services Office, stanfordcompliance@stanford.edu (as listed on its Compliance page and in the 2026-27 Parent Guide); Ted Seilheimer, Associate Athletics Director, Compliance Services (staff directory) | Stanford Athletics, Compliance Services; Stanford Compliance, Parent Guide (2026-27); Stanford Athletics, Staff Directory |
| State law | California Education Code § 67456 (Fair Pay to Play Act, operative 2021-09-01) bars schools, the NCAA and conferences from stopping college athletes from earning NIL pay, requires each deal to be disclosed to an official the school designates, and bars schools and associations from paying prospective athletes for NIL; it does not address school pay to enrolled athletes or banned categories. In force | /nil/college/california |
What is specific to Stanford
Stanford is a private university, and its approach to NIL is spelled out in a few plain rules. Its Compliance Services Office offers to review an NIL agreement before it is signed, but only for California law, NCAA rules and Stanford policy, and says it may give that feedback only to the athlete or the athlete's parents, not to agents, businesses or boosters; it recommends that third parties send draft agreement language to both the athlete and the office. The policy keeps NIL work out of Stanford housing, facilities and equipment under the university's Unrelated Business Activity policy. Stanford said in March 2025 that revenue sharing would be paid for entirely with new athletics revenue and gifts, and President Jonathan Levin said the amount would depend on that support. Stanford also runs sports outside the NCAA, and its 2026-27 guides send those athletes' NIL deals to INFLCR in Teamworks rather than NIL Go. John Donahoe wrote on 2026-09-17 that he had completed his first year as athletic director, and football is overseen by general manager Andrew Luck, who Stanford says finished his first season in that role in 2025.
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 Stanford
Does Stanford pay its athletes?
Yes. Stanford announced on 2025-03-10 that it would introduce a revenue-sharing model for athletes in 2025-26, funded "entirely through incremental athletics revenue and philanthropic support," with the amount depending on that support. Stanford is on the College Sports Commission's 2026-27 participating list, and the cap for 2026-27 is approximately $21.58 million per school. Stanford has not published how much it shares or how it is divided.
How do Stanford athletes report NIL deals?
Stanford's 2026-27 guides say NCAA athletes submit NIL deals through NIL Go, and the booster guide says this is done within five business days of signing; NCAA rules require third-party deals worth $600 or more to be reported in that window (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). Athletes in Stanford's non-NCAA sports submit deals through INFLCR in Teamworks. Revenue-sharing payments from Stanford itself do not go through NIL Go.
Will Stanford compliance review an NIL contract before it is signed?
Yes. Stanford's NIL Resources page says the Compliance Services Office will review NIL agreements in advance, but only for whether they comply with California law, NCAA rules and Stanford policies, not for other terms, and that it gives feedback only to the athlete or the athlete's parents. Stanford's policy also checks each deal for conflicts with Stanford contracts, such as athletic apparel, equipment and sports drinks.
Is there a Stanford NIL collective?
Stanford's own NIL pages name none as of 2026-10-21. Stanford's policy allows NIL deals with a Stanford booster only when the booster has no authority over intercollegiate athletics, the pay is tied only to NIL work at fair market value and is not for athletic participation or enrollment, and the athlete discloses the booster connection to the best of their ability. Stanford announced in 2024 an in-house NIL general manager position created with Altius Sports Partners.
Can Stanford athletes use Stanford logos in NIL deals?
Not on their own. Stanford's policy and its 2026-27 parent guide say athletes are not permitted to use Stanford marks or logos in NIL activities. The exception is a licensed vendor that combines Stanford marks with an athlete's NIL, approved by the Stanford Trademark Licensing Office. Athletes may identify themselves as Stanford athletes by sport and position.
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