High school NIL: Allowed

Tennessee high school NIL rules

Yes. High school athletes in Tennessee 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

Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA)

The rule

TSSAA Bylaws Amateur Rule (Article II, Section 18), revised by the Legislative Council in December 2022: students may receive payment for activities not related to performance (and for instructional services) provided they are carried out in a manner that does not suggest or reasonably suggest the endorsement or sponsorship of the TSSAA school.

Tell the school

None statewide

None; no TSSAA reporting requirement.

Off limits

Compensated activities may not include an image/likeness of the student in a uniform or other clothing/gear with the name or logo of the TSSAA school the student attends or attended; no reference to TSSAA accolades or championships; schools and those associated with them (coaches, boosters, collectives) must not solicit, negotiate, facilitate or promote the student's paid activities (FAQ: booster-club or collective payments are prohibited). No product-category list, parent-signature, or agent rule. Bowling, golf and tennis follow USBC/USGA/USTA pay rules.

Agents

Not addressed

If a rule is broken

Bylaw sanctions: first violation formal warning, return of money/awards and removal of the promotion; second violation one year ineligible at any level; third violation penalty set by the Executive Director based on whether conduct was knowing/deliberate/reckless. (TSSAA's NIL page also summarizes the amateur rule generally as 12 months ineligibility in the sport of violation.)

Middle school, club and travel ball

Applies to TSSAA member-school students; Nothing reaches non-school club play.

Recent changes

None found.

College state law

Law in force

The law

T.C.A. §§ 49-7-2801 to 49-7-2804; § 49-7-2802 history: Acts 2021 ch. 400; 2022 ch. 845; 2024 ch. 823; 2025 ch. 300.

Disclosure

§ 49-7-2802(d): athletes 'may be required' by the institution or athletic association to disclose any agreement and its terms and to file annual reports; § 49-7-2802(m) keeps records confidential but requires release of annualized, aggregated institutional compensation data on public-records request (sunsets July 1, 2032).

Schools paying athletes

Allowed: § 49-7-2802(b)(1)(A) permits a third party 'including an institution and its affiliated foundations' to provide NIL compensation unless limited by federal law, a binding court order, or an athletic-association rule; grants-in-aid are not compensation. Institutions may bar NIL conflicting with institutional values or using institutional IP, and must bar gambling, tobacco, THC products, alcohol and adult entertainment (§ 2802(g)).

For high school recruits

No high-school or prospect language; § 49-7-2802(j) requires agreements with athletes under 18 to comply with the Tennessee Protection of Minor Performers Act.

Recent changes

Acts 2025 ch. 300 amended § 49-7-2802.

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 Tennessee make NIL money?

Yes. High school athletes in Tennessee can take NIL deals, with conditions. TSSAA Bylaws Amateur Rule (Article II, Section 18), revised by the Legislative Council in December 2022: students may receive payment for activities not related to performance (and for instructional services) provided they are carried out in a manner that does not suggest or reasonably suggest the endorsement or sponsorship of the TSSAA school.

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

None statewide. None; no TSSAA reporting requirement.

Does a travel ball or club deal count in Tennessee?

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. Applies to TSSAA member-school students; Nothing reaches non-school club play.

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

Not addressed.

Sources

Last verified November 4, 2026. High school rule text: Rule approved Dec. 2022; TSSAA page current as of Nov. 2026.

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