Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of Alabama at Birmingham, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what University of Alabama at Birmingham, its conference, the state of Alabama 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 UAB
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | The 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook (posted 2026-08-24) has an "NIL Policies" section. It says NIL deals "are independent of the schools and are entrepreneurial in nature", that athletes "negotiate directly with brands, collectives, or boosters", that athletes enter independent deals via INFLCR, and, as printed, "International students-athletes cannot earn money from NIL." Two older versions of "UAB Athletics Name, Image and Likeness Policies and Procedures" are still online: one posted 2022-01-21 that cites Alabama's 2021 NIL law (since repealed), and one posted 2022-06-15 that cites the NCAA interim NIL policy. Both require prior approval from the athletics department before any NIL activity, including "obtaining representation", and both require international student-athletes to get prior approval from the UAB International Student & Scholar Services office | UAB Athletics, Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27; UAB Athletics, NIL Policies and Procedures (2022-01-21, 2022-06-15) |
| How deals are disclosed | Handbook: "All third-party NIL deals worth $600 or more must be submitted through NIL Go" and "Students must self-submit on the platform"; it lists NIL Go's review points as valid business purpose, range of compensation and payor association. NCAA: within five business days of signing or agreeing to payment terms (Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). The 2022 policy asked athletes to upload each NIL representation or compensation agreement to the INFLCR app "at least seven (7) days" before entering it, for UAB to approve or deny. Alabama law sets no disclosure rule | UAB Athletics, Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27 and NIL Policies and Procedures (2022); NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27 |
| Banned categories | Alabama law lists none. The handbook says "UAB will not approve NIL Activities" with a tobacco company or brand (including alternative nicotine products and electronic nicotine delivery systems or their retailers), "Any alcoholic beverage company or brand", any seller or dispensary of a controlled substance including marijuana, "Any adult entertainment business" and "Any casino or entities that sponsor or promote gambling activities". NIL activity may not conflict with class, tutoring, study hall or team activities | UAB Athletics, Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27; /nil/college/alabama |
| School marks and group licensing | Handbook: "The use of any registered marks, logos, verbiage, or designs owned and protected by UAB is not permitted unless prior written permission is received from" the NIL Business Manager, and athletics facilities are used only with prior approval of the Facilities and Event Management staff. The 2022-06-15 policy adds that UAB "may be compensated" for approved use of its marks at market rates or prior practice. The athletics site links a "Campus Ink NIL" store at nil.store/uab. A group licensing program is not described on the pages reviewed | UAB Athletics, Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27, NIL Policies and Procedures (2022) and Compliance page |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission puts the 2026-27 cap at approximately $21.58 million per school and lists the University of Alabama at Birmingham as participating in 2026-27. Ingram's 2025-04-30 letter says UAB agreed to opt in "As a member of the American Athletic Conference", that it is "redirecting operating dollars to the revenue sharing model", that sales tax now charged on tickets will be "used for player acquisition and retention", and that gifts for player support "will become a tax-deductible gift that can be spent starting July 1, 2025". On 2025-06-12 UAB launched the Competitive Excellence Fund within Blazer Boosters: tax-deductible gifts to a general fund or a sport, "but not directly to a specific student-athlete", to add to UAB's "baseline revenue sharing projections". UAB has not published a 2026-27 total or its division by sport | College Sports Commission; UAB Athletics, letter from Mark Ingram (2025-04-30) and Competitive Excellence Fund release (2025-06-12) |
| Collective or NIL group | UAB's 2023-09-13 release named Magic City Impact, powered by Student Athlete NIL (SANIL), "the official NIL Collective for UAB student-athletes", and said SANIL "is not officially affiliated with UAB Athletics but is acknowledged by the department". UAB's 2025-06-12 Competitive Excellence Fund release says, "This fund will replace previous contributions through collectives." The address in the 2023 release, magiccityimpact.com, showed a domain-for-sale page on 2026-10-23, and the 2026-27 handbook names no collective. No current UAB collective is confirmed | UAB Athletics, Magic City Impact release (2023-09-13) and Competitive Excellence Fund release (2025-06-12); UAB Athletics, Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27 |
| Agents and representation | The handbook does not address NIL agents. The 2022 policy requires approval before an athlete obtains NIL representation and an upload of the representation agreement seven days before signing. UAB's compliance Agents page describes NCAA professional-agent rules, a Professional Sports Counseling Panel, and Alabama law: athlete agents register with the Secretary of State, and an athlete who enters a verbal or written contract with an agent, or accepts anything of value from an agent or runner, notifies the athletics director "within 72 hours or before the next scheduled athletics event". Alabama's agent act counts an endorsement contract as an agency contract and gives a 14-day right to cancel | UAB Athletics, Compliance Agents page and NIL Policies and Procedures (2022); /nil/college/alabama |
| Compliance contact | UAB Athletics Compliance; Tyler Wright, Associate Athletic Director of Compliance, 205-975-3055, Tjwrigh2@uab.edu (also the handbook's NIL Go contact); Brody Wortham, Assistant Director of Compliance. The handbook names Josh Hickson, NIL Business Manager at Blazer Sports Properties, for company inquiries and permission to use marks | UAB Athletics, Staff Directory and Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27 |
| State law | Repealed. Act 2022-2 took Alabama's 2021 college NIL law off the books on 2022-02-03 and nothing has replaced it; the Revised Uniform Athlete Agents Act still reaches people who solicit athletes for endorsement contracts | /nil/college/alabama |
What is specific to UAB
UAB explained its opt-in in plain budget terms. Ingram's 2025-04-30 letter told fans that the House settlement let UAB pay athletes "over and above their current scholarship", that the department would redirect operating dollars, begin charging sales tax on tickets, and open accounts for each team so fans could direct gifts to a sport. Six weeks later UAB launched the Competitive Excellence Fund, tax-deductible gifts for revenue sharing that it said "will replace previous contributions through collectives". Its athlete rules run through the department's multimedia rights holder: the 2026-27 handbook names a NIL Business Manager at Learfield's Blazer Sports Properties as the person who receives company inquiries and grants permission to use UAB marks, and lists local examples of current deals, among them Marshall on 3rd, The Fennec, Gus's Fried Chicken, XP Plus and The Ellison. Leadership changed on 2026-08-18, when UAB announced that men's basketball coach Andy Kennedy would serve as interim director of athletics during a national search.
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 UAB
Does UAB pay its athletes?
UAB opted in to revenue sharing. Mark Ingram wrote on 2025-04-30 that UAB "can directly pay a student-athlete monies that are over and above their current scholarship", and the College Sports Commission lists UAB as participating in 2026-27, with a cap of approximately $21.58 million per school. UAB has not published how much it shares or how it divides the money.
How do UAB athletes report NIL deals?
UAB's 2026-27 handbook says third-party deals worth $600 or more go to NIL Go, which the athlete submits; NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2 and 22.2.2.2 set five business days. The handbook also says athletes enter independent deals through INFLCR. A 2022 UAB policy, still posted, asked for uploads to INFLCR seven days before signing.
What NIL collective works with UAB?
UAB announced Magic City Impact as its official NIL collective on 2023-09-13. On 2025-06-12 UAB said its new Competitive Excellence Fund "will replace previous contributions through collectives". The collective's web address showed a domain-for-sale page on 2026-10-23 and the 2026-27 handbook names no collective, so no current UAB collective is confirmed. The handbook points athletes to Blazer Sports Properties' NIL Business Manager for company inquiries.
Can UAB athletes use the UAB logo in NIL deals?
Only with prior written permission. The handbook says UAB's registered marks, logos, verbiage and designs are "not permitted unless prior written permission is received from" the NIL Business Manager, and athletics facilities need approval from Facilities and Event Management staff.
Does Alabama have an NIL law for UAB athletes?
No. Alabama repealed its 2021 college NIL law in 2022. The state's athlete agent act still applies to anyone who solicits an athlete for an endorsement contract, with Secretary of State registration and a 14-day right to cancel.
Be your own agent. Leave.
