Name, Image & Likeness
Deals, collectives, and personal brand: NIL explained for the high school athlete.
Topic Overview
Name, image, and likeness means getting paid to promote something or to lend your name to it: endorsements, social posts, appearances, autograph signings, running your own camp. It's real money, and it will come up while you're being recruited.
High school NIL and college NIL are governed by different people. The NCAA doesn't run high school NIL. Your state high school athletic association does, and the rules are a patchwork that varies by state. A legitimate, state-permitted deal doesn't by itself cost you NCAA eligibility. These guides mark where that stops being true, at pay-for-play dressed up as an endorsement.
The rest of this topic covers what a collective actually is and who funds it, how to hear a recruiting pitch built around an NIL number without taking it at face value, and what to read for before signing an agreement, including what changes if you're under 18.
What these guides answer
- What counts as NIL, and what falls outside it
- Why high school NIL rules come from your state association rather than the NCAA
- How a collective is funded and how a deal actually comes together
- The questions to ask before you believe an NIL number in a recruiting pitch
- What to read for in an agreement, and what signing as a minor involves
NIL Guides
NIL Basics for High School Recruits
What name, image, and likeness rules mean for you before college.
Building Your Brand as a Recruit
Growing an audience the right way without hurting your eligibility.
How NIL Collectives Work
What a collective is, who runs them, and how deals actually come together.
What to Know Before You Sign a Deal
Reading an NIL agreement and the questions to ask before you commit.
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