High school NIL: Allowed

California high school NIL rules

Yes. High school athletes in California can take NIL deals, with conditions.

Tell the school: None statewide
Agents: Not addressed
If a rule is broken: Loss of eligibility
Reaches middle school: Generally no

High school

Who sets the rules

CIF (California Interscholastic Federation)

The rule

CIF Bylaw 212 (Amateur Status) C(3)-(4), unchanged since May 2001: a student may do commercial endorsements provided there is no school team or school affiliation; may not wear a school uniform/insignia in an ad or lend name and team affiliation to an endorsement.

Tell the school

None statewide

None in the bylaw. CIF advises consulting the school AD before pursuing deals; some Sections/districts add their own process.

Off limits

No school uniforms, facilities, mascots, verbal or virtual references to the school; schools and anyone associated with them may not provide or take part in endorsement deals (treated as inducement under Bylaw 510); nonprofit appearances need school board approval. No product-category list in the bylaw.

Agents

Not addressed

If a rule is broken

Loss of amateur status/ineligibility under Bylaw 212; inducement/undue-influence violations under Bylaw 510 can bring up to 24 months ineligibility plus school sanctions.

Middle school, club and travel ball

CIF governs grades 9-12 member-school competition only; club play not addressed. SB 206/Educ. Code 67456 expressly does not apply to high school athletics per CIF Q&A.

Recent changes

No bylaw change. Calhoun v. CIF, federal antitrust class action filed May 30, 2025 (N.D. Cal.), challenges CIF NIL/revenue restrictions; pending.

College state law

Law in force

The law

Cal. Educ. Code 67456 (SB 206, 2019; SB 26, 2021; operative Sept 1, 2021)

Disclosure

Athlete must disclose NIL contracts to an official designated by the institution (67456(e)(2)); may not sign a contract conflicting with team contract.

Schools paying athletes

Not expressly addressed; institutions may not revoke scholarships for NIL; no state revenue-share provision.

For high school recruits

Yes: 67456(b) bars institutions and athletic associations from providing a prospective student athlete with NIL compensation (anti-inducement). High schools are outside the statute's definitions.

NCAA Division I, everywhere

Every deal worth $600 or more (added up per payer) entered since July 1, 2025 or the start of junior year, whichever is later, must be reported through NIL Go within 14 days of starting classes or before the first game.

Recruits enrolling on or after August 1, 2026 may hire agents under the April 15, 2026 Division I rule. The NJCAA still ends eligibility for a written agent agreement.

The full college-bound guide

Quick answers

Can high school athletes in California make NIL money?

Yes. High school athletes in California can take NIL deals, with conditions. CIF Bylaw 212 (Amateur Status) C(3)-(4), unchanged since May 2001: a student may do commercial endorsements provided there is no school team or school affiliation; may not wear a school uniform/insignia in an ad or lend name and team affiliation to an endorsement.

Do California athletes have to tell the school about an NIL deal?

None statewide. None in the bylaw. CIF advises consulting the school AD before pursuing deals; some Sections/districts add their own process.

Does a travel ball or club deal count in California?

State association rules follow the athlete, not where the deal came from. A deal through a travel team is fine as long as nothing ties back to the school team. CIF governs grades 9-12 member-school competition only; club play not addressed. SB 206/Educ. Code 67456 expressly does not apply to high school athletics per CIF Q&A.

Can a California high school athlete use an agent for NIL?

Not addressed.

Sources

Last verified November 4, 2026. High school rule text: CIF Q&A Aug 2022; 2025-26 CIF Constitution and Bylaws listed as current (full 2026-27 PDF not retrievable)

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