In most of the country, yes. Roughly 45 states allowed high school athletes to sign NIL deals as of mid 2026, up from thirteen in 2022, nearly all with the same conditions: no school uniforms, logos or facilities in the deal, no deals tied to enrolling at a particular school, and the state athletic association told in advance. Texas is the notable exception. Its state law and the University Interscholastic League bar any NIL arrangement before a player enrols in college, and a Texas high school athlete who signs one loses his eligibility.
Who Sets the Rules
The NCAA has no authority over high school athletes, so the question is answered fifty different ways by fifty state athletic associations, sometimes with a state law layered on top. The National Federation of State High School Associations issued guidance in 2021 leaving the decision to each state. California moved first, and the count of permitting states rose from thirteen in mid 2022 to the large majority by 2024. By July 2026, Texas was described in state press as one of five states that still prohibited it. Our page on what NIL is covers the college side of the same history.
The Standard Conditions
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| No school marks | The player cannot wear his school’s uniform, use its logo or name, or appear at its facilities in a deal |
| No recruiting inducements | A deal cannot be conditioned on attending, or transferring to, a particular high school |
| Prohibited categories | Gambling, alcohol, tobacco and vaping, cannabis, adult entertainment, in nearly every state |
| Disclosure | Most states require the deal to be reported to the school or association within a set period |
| No school involvement | Coaches and schools cannot arrange, broker or be party to deals |
What High School Athletes Actually Earn
Far less than the numbers in headlines suggest. The valuations attached to five star recruits, such as the $1 million figure attached to Alabama quarterback commit Elijah Haven or the $837,000 attached to Texas A&M tackle commit Jonathan Matthews, describe what those players are expected to earn in college, not what they earn in high school. Actual high school NIL income is dominated by a small number of athletes with large social media followings, most of them not football players, earning from apparel, local businesses and content. A typical high school football recruit with an NIL deal is earning hundreds or low thousands of dollars, if anything.
Texas
Senate Bill 1385, passed in 2021, prohibits any NIL arrangement with an athlete before enrolment in a college, and the UIL has said it will not change its rules until the legislature does. The result is that the state producing more Division I football recruits than any other bars all of them from earning NIL money until they arrive on campus. Texas colleges, meanwhile, run some of the most aggressive NIL and revenue sharing operations in the country, so a Texas recruit’s first deal is often signed the week he enrols. The gap has been criticised by Texas high school coaches and defended by the UIL on the grounds of what it has seen at the college level.
The Early Enrollee Route
Many top recruits enrol in college in January of their senior year, which converts them from high school athletes to college athletes under their new school’s rules. A quarterback who signs in December and arrives on campus in January can sign college NIL deals in a state where high school NIL is banned, because he is no longer a high school athlete. Early enrolment, once a competitive decision, is now partly a financial one.
The Recruiting Problem
The largest concern in every state that allows high school NIL is the same one the NCAA has: money used to move players between schools. Several states have seen transfers to private school programmes accompanied by local deals, and associations have investigated. The rules against school involvement and inducements exist to stop this, and they are enforced unevenly. For football recruits, the more consequential money is the college revenue share and NIL offer they negotiate before signing, which is legal under NCAA rules as long as the deal is not formally signed until enrolment. Our page on how NIL works covers that process.
Taxes Apply
A high school athlete who earns NIL money is taxed the same way a college athlete is, as a self employed contractor with no withholding, and a minor’s income may need to be reported on a parent’s return depending on its type and amount. Our page on NIL and taxes covers the rules.
The Bottom Line
High school athletes can make NIL money in most states in 2026, with restrictions on school marks, inducements and prohibited categories, and the deals are generally small. Texas remains the major holdout, which is why its top recruits enrol early. The seven figure valuations that follow five star prospects are college projections, not high school income. Our page on how much college players make covers what those projections are based on.