Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Villanova University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what Villanova University, its conference, the state of Pennsylvania and the NCAA have published, linked under Sources and read on October 22, 2026. "Not published" means the school has not published it.
The rules at Villanova
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | "Policy on Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL)" of the Athletics Compliance Office: effective 2021-07-01, revision dates listed as "September 8, 2021, December 2025", posted 2026-02-20 and linked from the compliance menu and the NIL page; the same text is section XIV of the 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook (posted 2026-10-11). Athletes may earn NIL pay "subject to the limitations of Pennsylvania or other applicable state law, any enacted federal law, NCAA, Conference rules and VU policies"; they "are not permitted to miss class" for NIL; Villanova may require an athlete to "modify or terminate" NIL activity that conflicts with its mission and values, team activities or institutional contracts; violations can bring discipline "up to and including suspension or expulsion". Older versions (2021, 2023, 2024) remain in the site's document library | Villanova Athletics, Policy on Name, Image, and Likeness (rev. December 2025, posted 2026-02-20); Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27 |
| How deals are disclosed | NIL Go for third-party deals of $600 or more within five business days (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). Villanova's policy repeats this ("within five business days of execution"), counts several payments from the same third party together, and has incoming and transfer athletes report earlier deals within 14 days after full-time enrollment or before the first outside contest, whichever comes first. The Athletics Department then reviews each opportunity, "as appropriate, in coordination with the Office of the General Counsel". An agency contract with an athlete agent is disclosed to the Athletic Director or designee within 72 hours or before the next scheduled event, whichever comes first. Pennsylvania law makes disclosure to the school optional ("may") | Villanova Athletics, NIL Policy (rev. December 2025); NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/pennsylvania |
| Banned categories | Pennsylvania law bars NIL pay tied to adult entertainment, alcohol, casinos and gambling (including sports betting and the lottery), tobacco and electronic smoking products, prescription pharmaceuticals and controlled dangerous substances. Villanova's own list of "Non-permissive partnerships": alcohol products; tobacco and electronic smoking products and devices, including vaping; prescription pharmaceuticals "(including marijuana)"; content "of an adult nature, which means a sexual nature"; gaming and gambling, sports betting, the lottery or casinos; controlled, dangerous substances; and "Other categories that do not align with the mission and values of VU" | Villanova Athletics, NIL Policy (rev. December 2025); /nil/college/pennsylvania |
| School marks and group licensing | The policy says athletes may not use Villanova's name, marks or logos in NIL activity except by working with a current athletics corporate partner "via PlayFly Sports" or with an approved licensee in the shared licensing program run by Collegiate Licensing Company and One Team Partners. Copyrighted material, including game and practice video, and Villanova facilities need prior written approval. Athletes wear Nike gear while training or competing for Villanova unless Nike grants an exemption. Villanova launched group licensing with The Brandr Group on 2021-09-09 (three or more athletes from one team, or six or more across teams), and its NIL page links an NIL Store | Villanova Athletics, NIL Policy (rev. December 2025), Brandr Group release (2021-09-09) and NIL page (2026-27) |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission lists Villanova as participating in 2026-27 and puts the cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school". Villanova's NIL page, written for 2026-27, describes revenue sharing as "institution-administered compensation" separate from third-party NIL, and says an athlete can "potentially" have both. It calls the Villanova Athletics Strategic Excellence (VASE) Fund "the primary philanthropic mechanism supporting Villanova's revenue sharing commitment" and says VASE "will primarily support Men's and Women's Basketball". The Athletics case statement for Espiritus Nova, Villanova's fundraising campaign (September 2026), calls revenue sharing "a new eight-figure annual investment" in keeping Villanova Basketball a top national program; it is a fundraising document, not a budget. No allocation by sport is published | Villanova Athletics, NIL page (2026-27) and Espiritus Nova fundraising case statement (September 2026); College Sports Commission |
| Collective or NIL group | Friends of Nova, now a former partner. Villanova Athletics named it "its official partner to support Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities" on 2023-10-27, describing a fan and alumni-driven collective founded in 2022 and led by former Villanova player Randy Foye, and Athletic Director Eric Roedl wrote on 2025-11-07 that "Friends of Nova is our NIL maximization partner". On 2026-08-04 Villanova Athletics announced it had hired three people from Friends of Nova, including its president, Foye, and called Friends of Nova "the department's former NIL maximization partner whose work will now be brought in-house"; the August 2026 Athletic Director's Update says the same. Villanova's own marketplace is the Wildcat Exchange (INFLCR, launched 2024-09-17), which the NIL page calls "Villanova Athletics' official NIL marketplace"; the 2024 release says it is free for athletes and businesses and forwards a reporting form to Compliance once a deal is reached | Villanova Athletics releases (2023-10-27, 2024-09-17, 2026-08-04), Athletic Director's Updates (2025-11-07, August 2026) and NIL page (2026-27) |
| Agents and representation | The policy says an athlete agent "must be registered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania pursuant to 5 Pa.C.S.A §3501 et seq." and "must also register with Villanova". The agents page says "Any agent who tries to contact a Villanova student-athlete must be registered with the University and the state of Pennsylvania and have declared their intention to contact you", and Villanova's registration form has a box for "NIL Representative". A Professional Sports Counseling Panel, chaired by the university's general counsel, screens agents and evaluates contracts. State law: NIL representation comes from an athlete agent registered with the State Athletic Commission or a Pennsylvania lawyer, and an NIL agent contract states it does not bind the athlete beyond NIL | Villanova Athletics, NIL Policy, Agent Registration page and Agent and Advisor Initial Registration Form; /nil/college/pennsylvania |
| Compliance contact | Villanova Athletics Compliance Office, Jake Nevin Field House, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085; athletics.compliance@villanova.edu. NIL education and the Wildcat Exchange are handled by the Assistant Director, NIL Strategy and Operations (justin.mirenda@villanova.edu) | Villanova Athletics, Compliance Contact and NIL page |
| State law | In force. Pennsylvania's Article XX-M (Act 89 of 2024) lets college athletes earn NIL pay, makes disclosure to the school optional, bars six product categories and limits NIL representation to registered athlete agents and Pennsylvania lawyers | /nil/college/pennsylvania |
What is specific to Villanova
Villanova's NIL page, updated for 2026-27, sets NIL and revenue sharing side by side: NIL "generally involves a third party and an exchange of value", while revenue sharing "is administered directly through the institution", and "the two systems may exist at the same time, but they are not interchangeable". The Athletics case statement for Espiritus Nova, Villanova's fundraising campaign (September 2026), explains where the money goes: with basketball at the center of the BIG EAST, Villanova says it will prioritize men's and women's basketball, the VASE Fund (launched in 2025 after the House settlement) is the main philanthropic source for revenue sharing, and that sharing is "a new eight-figure annual investment". The NIL policy itself names four conferences whose marks it gives athletes no right to use (the BIG EAST, the Coastal Athletic Association, the Patriot League and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference); Villanova football began Patriot League play in 2026, and the Wildcat Exchange release lists CAA rowing and MAAC water polo. It also tells international athletes that NIL pay "may impact their nonimmigrant F-1 student status" and points them to the Office of International Students and Scholars.
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 Villanova
Does Villanova pay its athletes?
Villanova takes part in House settlement revenue sharing: the College Sports Commission lists it for 2026-27, with a cap of about $21.58 million per school, and the Athletics case statement for Espiritus Nova, Villanova's fundraising campaign (September 2026), calls revenue sharing "a new eight-figure annual investment" focused on men's and women's basketball. Villanova's NIL page says revenue sharing is paid by the school under its own terms and is separate from third-party NIL deals. No breakdown by sport is published.
What NIL collective works with Villanova?
Villanova Athletics named Friends of Nova its official NIL partner on 2023-10-27. On 2026-08-04 it called Friends of Nova the department's "former NIL maximization partner", said its work "will now be brought in-house" and hired three people from it, including its president, Randy Foye. Villanova also runs its own marketplace for businesses, the Wildcat Exchange, on INFLCR.
How do Villanova athletes report NIL deals?
Villanova's NIL policy has athletes report third-party deals of $600 or more (counting repeat payments from one source together) to NIL Go within five business days of execution, as NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2 and 22.2.2.2 require. The Athletics Department then reviews the deal against Villanova's policy. Agency contracts go to the Athletic Director or designee within 72 hours or before the next event.
Can Villanova athletes use Villanova logos in NIL deals?
Only through the routes the policy names: a current athletics corporate partner working through Playfly Sports, or an approved licensee in the program run by Collegiate Licensing Company and One Team Partners. Game and practice video and Villanova facilities need prior written approval.
Do NIL agents have to register with Villanova?
Yes, per Villanova's policy and agents page: an athlete agent registers with Pennsylvania under 5 Pa.C.S. Ch. 35 and also with Villanova, and the registration form includes an "NIL Representative" category. Pennsylvania law separately limits NIL representation to registered athlete agents and Pennsylvania lawyers.
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