Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, its conference, the state of Virginia 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 Virginia Tech
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | Policy No. 1037, "Policy on Student Athlete Participation in Name, Image, Likeness Opportunities," effective and approved by the Board of Visitors on 2024-08-28 under Va. Code § 23.1-408.1. It says Virginia Tech "permits student athletes to receive compensation for the use of their name, image, and likeness for actual services rendered by the student athlete related to their participation in the university's intercollegiate athletics program"; that the university will not pay athletes for NIL rights for academic or athletic activities such as practices and competitions; that as a condition of participation athletes "are required to assign a full paid-up royalty free nonexclusive license to NIL rights to the university" for those activities; that athletes in the NIL program attend a money management program once a year; and that nothing in it creates an employment relationship. The athletic department adds a "Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) Athletic Department Protocol" (PDF footer 0825, file created 2025-08-27) and a web "NIL Protocol" that bar pay-for-play, enrollment-contingent pay and pay contingent on athletic performance | Virginia Tech Policies, Policy 1037; Virginia Tech Athletics, NIL Athletic Department Protocol (2025) and NIL Protocol page |
| How deals are disclosed | The department protocol says "All NIL agreements valued at $600 or more must be reported to the NIL Go clearinghouse within 5 business days of execution or agreeing to payment terms" (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2), with written agreements showing the work, payment terms and both signatures. The web protocol says "Virginia law requires student-athletes to disclose all name, image, and likeness (NIL) activities before the activity occurs" and that an amended agreement needs a new NIL Go disclosure. Policy 1037 says athletes register NIL participation with the athletic department "if the student receives in excess of $600 per season and for any sums earned for work performed for university." Virginia law requires disclosure to the school before executing an NIL agreement (§ 23.1-408.1(I)) | Virginia Tech Athletics, NIL Athletic Department Protocol (2025) and NIL Protocol page; Virginia Tech Policies, Policy 1037; /nil/college/virginia |
| Banned categories | Virginia law bars NIL pay connected with alcohol, adult entertainment, cannabis (not hemp), controlled substances, performance enhancing drugs, drug paraphernalia, tobacco and nicotine products, weapons, and casinos or gambling including sports betting (§ 23.1-408.1(F)). Policy 1037 lists eight of these, without performance enhancing drugs; the department protocols list all nine and add NCAA-banned substances. The web protocol says Virginia Tech "retains the right to disapprove any activity deemed to suggest an endorsement by VT or that reflects unfavorably upon VT." NIL activity may not cause a missed class or occur while an athlete is on call for team activity | Virginia Tech Policies, Policy 1037; Virginia Tech Athletics, NIL Athletic Department Protocol (2025) and NIL Protocol page; /nil/college/virginia |
| School marks and group licensing | Policy 1037 says athletes may not use university marks, facilities, apparel, equipment or intellectual property to earn NIL pay without written permission. The web protocol requires written approval from Virginia Tech Licensing and Trademarks for logos in third-party promotions, and the department protocol says a "licensed agreement from Virginia Tech Marketing and Communications" for Virginia Tech or ACC marks. Athletes may identify themselves as a "Current VT Student-Athlete." Virginia Tech's NIL page describes a program with Learfield, Fanatics and OneTeam in which athletes who opt in have their name and number on licensed merchandise and are paid for each sale | Virginia Tech Policies, Policy 1037; Virginia Tech Athletics, NIL Protocol page, NIL Athletic Department Protocol (2025) and Hokies NIL page |
| Revenue sharing | Virginia Tech is on the College Sports Commission's list of schools participating in revenue sharing for 2026-27, where the cap is "approximately $21.58 million per school." A 2025-06-10 message from then Director of Athletics Whit Babcock said "Virginia Tech intends to fully participate," that distribution models were being evaluated, and that it expected to add 45 scholarships. On 2025-09-30 the Board of Visitors approved "an additional $229 million investment in athletics over four years." No Virginia Tech figure for 2026-27 was found on the pages read | College Sports Commission, Participating Schools and Revenue Sharing (2026-27); Virginia Tech Athletics, message from Whit Babcock (2025-06-10) and Board of Visitors release (2025-09-30) |
| Collective or NIL group | Virginia Tech's NIL pages list Triumph NIL, which they call "a subscription-based service that connects Tech fans with Hokie student-athletes" and "the best place to connect your business with a student-athlete," and The Hokie Way, "a 501(c)3 non-profit organization" connecting athletes' charitable work with their NIL. The 2025-06-10 message said Virginia Tech "is proud to work alongside groups like Triumph and The Hokie Way." The NIL hub says the Hokie Club can accept NIL gifts, including the Keep Jumping Fund and sport-specific gifts, and that "NIL expenses will now be counted as part of a sport's operational budget." Hokie Ventures, a university-affiliated nonprofit whose affiliation agreement the Board of Visitors approved (announced 2026-06-02), "will create opportunities to support and facilitate expanded third-party NIL initiatives." Listed as of 2026-10-21; the vt.triumphnil.com link on the hub did not load that day | Virginia Tech Athletics, Virginia Tech NIL hub, Hokies NIL page, message from Whit Babcock (2025-06-10) and Hokie Ventures releases (2026-06-02, 2026-08-26) |
| Agents and representation | Virginia Tech's Agents and Advisors page and protocols say an athlete agent registers with the Commonwealth of Virginia and with the Virginia Tech Athletics Compliance Office before contacting or representing an athlete, that registration with Virginia Tech "may serve as the required notification under Virginia law," and that the agent and the athlete notify the Athletics Director or designee within 72 hours of signing an agency contract or before the next athletic event, whichever comes first. Representation agreements are submitted to Compliance for review, agents renew registration every year, and the department protocol says athletes may hire an attorney or agent "for NIL/marketing related matters only." Under state law, NIL agents register with the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation and an athlete may cancel an agency contract within 14 days | Virginia Tech Athletics, Agents and Advisors, NIL Protocol for Agents and Agents and Financial Advisors Protocol (2025); /nil/college/virginia |
| Compliance contact | Virginia Tech Athletics Compliance Office, hokiesports.com/compliance; Derek Gwinn, Executive Associate AD for Compliance (gwinn@vt.edu, 231-2696), primary contact for NIL and NIL Go in the office's points-of-contact list, with Xaviar Goodman (goodmanx@vt.edu) secondary for NIL and primary for agents | Virginia Tech Athletics, Compliance page and Compliance Office Points of Contact (2025) |
| State law | Va. Code § 23.1-408.1 (2022, expanded in 2024 by HB 1505) protects athletes' NIL pay and representation, bans nine deal categories, requires disclosure to the school before signing, bars associations and conferences from stopping a Virginia school paying its athletes for NIL, and requires board-approved school NIL policies; since 2026-07-01, § 23.1-408.2 limits use of athletes' biometric data. In force | /nil/college/virginia |
What is specific to Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech's NIL policy sits in the university's own policy library with a Board of Visitors vote behind it, as Virginia law requires (§ 23.1-408.1(D)). Policy 1037 is short and specific: it covers pay for "actual services rendered" related to athletics, keeps practices and competitions outside paid NIL, and takes a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to athletes' NIL for those activities. It also lets the university give facilities, staff, equipment and trademark licensing to outside entities that support NIL, lets Virginia Tech hire a third party or affiliated entity to manage NIL activities, and says such marketing partners "shall put forth factors" for administering athlete deals, "including such considerations as equity in marketing, fair student athlete compensation, and a matrix detailing factors such as audience interest and student athlete participation obligations." The 2026 Guide for Hokie Supporters says boosters may do NIL deals with current athletes and prospects only for bona fide advertising at fair market value, never as an inducement to enroll or a reward for athletic achievement. The NIL hub says more than 300 Virginia Tech athletes agreed to an NIL deal in 2023-24. Virginia Tech named Brian White Vice President and Director of Athletics on 2026-06-22; Policy 1037 still lists Whit Babcock as its owner. On 2026-06-02 Virginia Tech announced that its Board of Visitors had approved an affiliation agreement with Hokie Ventures, a new nonprofit corporation for athletics revenue, investments and donor relations that "will create opportunities to support and facilitate expanded third-party NIL initiatives benefiting eligible Virginia Tech student-athletes"; its 10-member board, including Brian White, was announced on 2026-08-26.
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 Virginia Tech
Does Virginia Tech pay its athletes?
Yes. Policy 1037 lets Virginia Tech pay athletes for NIL tied to actual services related to athletics, and a 2025-06-10 message from then Director of Athletics Whit Babcock said Virginia Tech "intends to fully participate" in revenue sharing. The College Sports Commission lists Virginia Tech among schools sharing revenue in 2026-27, under a cap of approximately $21.58 million per school. Virginia Tech has not published how the money is divided.
What NIL collective works with Virginia Tech?
Virginia Tech's NIL pages list Triumph NIL, a subscription service connecting fans and businesses with Hokie athletes, and The Hokie Way, a nonprofit pairing athletes' NIL with charities. Since Virginia's 2024 law, the Hokie Club also accepts NIL gifts, including the Keep Jumping Fund. In 2026 Virginia Tech also formed Hokie Ventures, a university-affiliated nonprofit that it says will "support and facilitate expanded third-party NIL initiatives."
How do Virginia Tech athletes report NIL deals?
Virginia Tech's protocol says NIL agreements of $600 or more are reported to NIL Go within five business days of signing or agreeing to payment terms, and an amended deal is disclosed again. Virginia law also has athletes disclose an NIL agreement to the school before executing it. NIL and NIL Go questions go to Derek Gwinn in Compliance (gwinn@vt.edu).
What NIL deals are banned at Virginia Tech?
Virginia law and Virginia Tech's protocols bar NIL pay connected with alcohol, adult entertainment, cannabis, controlled substances, performance enhancing drugs, drug paraphernalia, tobacco and nicotine products, weapons, and casinos or gambling including sports betting; the protocols add NCAA-banned substances. Pay tied to enrollment or athletic performance is also not allowed.
What NIL rights does Virginia Tech take from its athletes?
Policy 1037 says that, as a condition of intercollegiate athletic participation, athletes assign Virginia Tech a royalty-free, nonexclusive license to their NIL for academic and athletic activities such as practices and competitions, and that the university does not pay for NIL rights in those activities. The same policy lets athletes be paid for NIL tied to actual services they perform.
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