High school NIL: Allowed

West Virginia high school NIL rules

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

Tell the school: None statewide
Agents: Not addressed
If a rule is broken: Eligibility lost: that sport only
Reaches middle school: Yes

High school

Who sets the rules

West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC)

The rule

WVSSAC Rules & Regulations 127-2-11 (Amateur), 11.5-11.7, in effect for 2025-26: NIL is permitted, but no school or school employee may be involved in a student's NIL; students may not reference a member school or the WVSSAC, promote third parties during team activities, or join NIL clubs based on school affiliation; listed product categories are banned.

Tell the school

None statewide

None. No reporting, form, deadline or threshold in the rule.

Off limits

No school/WVSSAC reference; no NIL partner apparel/logos or third-party endorsement during team activities; no NIL club tied to a member school or team; no school employees (coaches, administrators) involved; booster clubs, alumni or collectives may not use NIL promises to entice transfer/attendance; banned categories: adult entertainment, alcohol, tobacco/nicotine, cannabis, controlled dangerous substances, prescription pharmaceuticals, casinos/gambling (incl. sports betting, lottery, video-game/online/mobile betting), weapons/firearms/ammunition. No parent-signature requirement.

Agents

Not addressed

If a rule is broken

Loss of amateur status in that sport (127-2-11.1); may apply for reinstatement after a waiting period of one complete high school season in that sport (11.3); participating while ineligible can bring up to 365 days ineligibility (127-2-12).

Middle school, club and travel ball

YES, reaches middle school: WVSSAC member schools include middle schools and 127-2 eligibility rules apply to 'secondary schools' defined as high school or middle school (grades 6-12). Club/travel play is not governed.

Recent changes

NIL language in 127-2-11 took effect for the 2025-26 school year (news coverage Aug 11-12, 2025). The 2026-27 Rules & Regulations is published only as a flipbook and was not text-checked.

College state law

Law in force

The law

W. Va. Code §§ 18B-22-1 to 18B-22-5 (Enrolled Committee Substitute for H.B. 2576, 2025 Regular Session, effective from passage April 10, 2025; prior SB 292, 2024)

Disclosure

No statutory athlete disclosure duty; 18B-22-2(a)(3) lets an institution require disclosure of similar agreements as a condition of its own NIL contracts.

Schools paying athletes

Institutions may compensate athletes directly for NIL and share a portion of athletic-department revenue; may not use legislatively appropriated moneys; athletes are not employees; associations may not penalize permitted activity; banned categories (alcohol, adult entertainment, cannabis excl. hemp, controlled substances, PEDs, paraphernalia, tobacco/nicotine, gambling).

For high school recruits

None; applies only to individuals enrolled at an institution participating in intercollegiate athletics.

Recent changes

HB 2576 (2025) rewrote the article; effective from passage (April 2025). No 2026 change found.

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 West Virginia make NIL money?

Yes. High school athletes in West Virginia can take NIL deals, with conditions. WVSSAC Rules & Regulations 127-2-11 (Amateur), 11.5-11.7, in effect for 2025-26: NIL is permitted, but no school or school employee may be involved in a student's NIL; students may not reference a member school or the WVSSAC, promote third parties during team activities, or join NIL clubs based on school affiliation; listed product categories are banned.

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

None statewide. None. No reporting, form, deadline or threshold in the rule.

Does a travel ball or club deal count in West Virginia?

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. YES, reaches middle school: WVSSAC member schools include middle schools and 127-2 eligibility rules apply to 'secondary schools' defined as high school or middle school (grades 6-12). Club/travel play is not governed.

Can a West Virginia high school athlete use an agent for NIL?

Not addressed.

Sources

Last verified November 4, 2026. High school rule text: 2025-2026 WVSSAC Rules & Regulations (final)

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