Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Youngstown State University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what Youngstown State University, its conference, the state of Ohio and the NCAA have published, linked under Sources and read on October 24, 2026. "Not published" means the school has not published it.
The rules at Youngstown State
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | "Youngstown State Department of Athletics Student-Athlete Name, Image, Likeness Policy" (file named "2025 update", posted 2025-08-13), with sections on institutional policy, disclosure, payment, prohibited activities, professional service providers, athletically related activities and facilities, each opening with a "Simply put" summary. The 2026-27 Student-Athlete Handbook (posted 2026-08-13) summarizes it in section 5.13 | YSU Athletics, NIL Policy (2025); Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27 |
| How deals are disclosed | Policy section 2.1: an athlete "shall disclose information and details of all NIL activities through Opendorse prior to the activity", and "Deals with a value of $600 or more must also be disclosed through NIL Go pursuant to NCAA requirements and House v. NCAA settlement terms" (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2, within five business days). The 2026-27 handbook adds that disclosures "must include proof that shows what action the student-athlete will be doing to receive the compensation". The policy says disclosed agreements "are excepted from public records requests under Ohio law and are not public records" | YSU NIL Policy (2025); Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27; NCAA 2026-27 Division I Manual |
| Banned categories | Policy 4.1.1.2 bars distilled spirits (hard liquor); tobacco, electronic smoking, vapor and ingestible nicotine products; casinos or any entity that sponsors or promotes gambling; controlled substances; "Marijuana (including legalized or medical) products"; medical marijuana cultivators, processors, labs or dispensaries; and adult entertainment businesses. Sponsor conflicts named as examples: wearing products competitive to Nike during team activities and promoting beverages competitive to Pepsi on campus or during team activities. Ohio law lets a school bar these categories (R.C. 3376.07) | YSU NIL Policy (2025); /nil/college/ohio |
| School marks and group licensing | Policy 1.1.1: no YSU trademarks, logos, institutionally branded apparel or institutionally produced photos and video in NIL without express written consent from the Department of Athletics (ncaacompliance@ysu.edu); merchandise with YSU marks is made by university licensees. YSU's NIL Resource Center points fans to the YSU NIL Store and Athlete's Thread for "officially licensed YSU merchandise", saying "A percentage of each sale from those two sites goes directly to the student-athlete" | YSU NIL Policy (2025); YSU Athletics, Penguins NIL Resource Center |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission puts the 2026-27 cap at approximately $21.58 million per school and lists Youngstown State as participating in 2026-27. YSU's 2025-09-03 release says that "With the implementation of the House v. NCAA settlement and ensuing NIL rule changes, YSU Athletics can now enter into NIL agreements directly with Penguins student-athletes". Section 5.14 of YSU's 2026-27 handbook says an athlete is entered in the transfer portal within two business days "unless the student-athlete has waived their ability to enter the portal in a formal Name, Image, Likeness or revenue sharing agreement". No YSU amount or allocation is published | College Sports Commission; YSU Athletics, Penguins NIL release (2025-09-03); Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27 |
| Collective or NIL group | Not published. No YSU page names a collective. The Penguins NIL Resource Center says "Businesses and fans alike have the opportunity to provide direct NIL financial support to YSU student-athletes and teams" and lists Opendorse, Fanstake (a $10 fan credit to support an athlete, refunded if the athlete transfers or turns pro), the NIL Store and Athlete's Thread. YSU renewed its Opendorse partnership on 2026-06-04 for "payment processing, international payments, a branded NIL marketplace, and compliance tools", plus education | YSU Athletics, Penguins NIL Resource Center; Opendorse renewal release (2026-06-04) |
| Agents and representation | Policy 5.1: a professional service provider may advise, represent and market an athlete's NIL but not seek professional athletic opportunities, and "must be registered as an agent under Ohio law, unless they are an immediate family member"; fees follow typical industry arrangements and may not run past NCAA eligibility. The handbook has agent agreements disclosed on the NIL Agent Disclosure form in Motion. The compliance page links Ohio's list of registered agents. Ohio law requires athlete agents to register with the Ohio athletic commission (R.C. 4771.06) and bars NIL agent contracts that run past eligibility (R.C. 4771.021) | YSU NIL Policy (2025); Student-Athlete Handbook 2026-27; /nil/college/ohio |
| Compliance contact | YSU Athletics Compliance Office, NCAACompliance@ysu.edu. NIL questions: Assistant Athletic Director and Director of NIL, (330) 941-3283, tjburk@ysu.edu | YSU Athletics, Compliance Office page and Penguins NIL Resource Center |
| State law | Ohio's college NIL law, R.C. Chapter 3376, is in force. Ohio schools may pay athletes for NIL, athletes disclose a proposed deal to the school before entering it, and NIL contracts signed since 2026-03-20 may not run past eligibility or send disputes outside Ohio | /nil/college/ohio |
What is specific to Youngstown State
Youngstown State's 2025 policy speaks to staff involvement in NIL directly. Section 1.1.3 says YSU "coaches, staff, and employees are permitted to be involved in NIL activities for a student-athlete, including, but not limited to, arranging, assisting, promoting, or contributing to an NIL activity", and that YSU may sign institutional NIL agreements with athletes to license their NIL; athletes in turn may not pay YSU employees to help with NIL work such as content, photography or logo design. The department has an Assistant Athletic Director who is also Director of NIL and runs @YSUpenguinsnil accounts, and in September 2025 it launched "Penguins NIL", saying YSU Athletics "can now enter into NIL agreements directly with Penguins student-athletes". Section 5.14 of its 2026-27 handbook, on transfer requests, ends its two-business-day portal entry rule with "unless the student-athlete has waived their ability to enter the portal in a formal Name, Image, Likeness or revenue sharing agreement". The handbook lists YSU's affiliations as the Horizon League, the Missouri Valley Football Conference (football, FCS), Conference USA (women's bowling) and the Mid-American Conference (women's lacrosse).
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 Youngstown State
Does Youngstown State pay its athletes?
YSU is on the College Sports Commission's 2026-27 list of schools participating in revenue sharing, with a cap of approximately $21.58 million per school, and its policy says YSU may enter institutional NIL agreements with athletes. YSU has not published amounts or how the money is divided. Ohio law lets Ohio schools pay athletes for NIL.
How do YSU Penguins report NIL deals?
Every NIL activity is disclosed through Opendorse before it happens, with proof of what the athlete will do for the pay, according to YSU's policy and 2026-27 handbook. Third-party deals of $600 or more are also reported to NIL Go within five business days. Agent agreements go on the NIL Agent Disclosure form in Motion.
What does Youngstown State's handbook say about NIL agreements and the transfer portal?
Section 5.14 of YSU's 2026-27 handbook says that once the written notification of transfer and the educational module certificate are received, "the student-athlete will be entered in the NCAA Transfer Portal within two (2) business days, or within two (2) business days of a permissible transfer window opening, unless the student-athlete has waived their ability to enter the portal in a formal Name, Image, Likeness or revenue sharing agreement." The handbook does not say more about such agreements.
What does Youngstown State's NIL policy say about coaches and staff in NIL deals?
Section 1.1.3 of YSU's 2025 policy says "Youngstown State University coaches, staff, and employees are permitted to be involved in NIL activities for a student-athlete, including, but not limited to, arranging, assisting, promoting, or contributing to an NIL activity." The same section says athletes "are prohibited from compensating" YSU coaches, staff and employees for NIL help such as social media content, photography, videography or logo creation.
Does an NIL agent need to be registered for a Youngstown State athlete?
YSU's policy says a professional service provider "must be registered as an agent under Ohio law, unless they are an immediate family member", and the compliance page links Ohio's list of registered agents. Fees may not run past the athlete's NCAA eligibility.
Be your own agent. Leave.
