California NIL rules for college and high school athletes

California NIL law for college athletes

California was the first state to pass a college NIL law, the Fair Pay to Play Act (SB 206), signed in 2019. SB 26 (2021) moved its start date up, and the law is now Education Code Section 67456, operative September 1, 2021. It applies to the University of California, California State University, the California Community Colleges and private and independent colleges.

Under Section 67456:

• Schools, conferences and athletic associations, including the NCAA, may not stop an athlete from earning compensation for their name, image, likeness or athletic reputation, and such compensation may not affect scholarship eligibility.
• They may not stop an athlete from getting professional representation. Athlete agents must be licensed under California's Business and Professions Code and follow the federal Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act; attorneys must be licensed in California.
• An athlete who signs an NIL contract must disclose it to an official the school designates.
• An athlete may not sign an NIL contract that conflicts with the team contract. A school that claims a conflict must show the athlete or their representative the conflicting provisions.
• A team contract may not stop an athlete from using their NIL for commercial purposes when not engaged in official team activities.
• A scholarship covering the cost of attendance is not compensation under the law and may not be revoked because the athlete earns NIL money or hires representation.

California and revenue sharing

Section 67456, as published at the start of 2026, still says schools and athletic associations may not provide NIL compensation to athletes or to prospective athletes. That wording predates the House settlement. California's ACC and Big Ten schools take part in the settlement, which lets schools pay athletes directly up to an annual cap. We have not found a California amendment that addresses the conflict, so athletes should ask their school's compliance office how it handles institutional payments.

California high school NIL (CIF)

The California Interscholastic Federation does not ban NIL. Its amateur rule, Bylaw 212, says a student loses amateur standing in CIF competition for:

• Wearing a school team uniform or any identifying school insignia in any advertisement, promotional activity or endorsement for a commercial product or service.
• Lending their name and team affiliation for a commercial endorsement.

The bylaw adds that it is not meant to restrict a student's right to take part in a commercial endorsement when there is no school team or school affiliation, and the restrictions also cover league, CIF section and CIF State marks. Appearances for nonprofit organizations must be approved by the school's governing board.

CIF also enforces its undue-influence rule (Bylaw 510): an NIL deal may not be used to influence a student to enroll at or transfer to a school. Ask your athletic director before signing.

What brands should know in California

For college athletes, expect the athlete to disclose the contract to the school, keep the deal clear of team contract conflicts and school marks, and for Division I deals of $600 or more, report through NIL Go. For high school athletes, the athlete must appear as an individual: no school uniform, logo, school name or team affiliation in any ad or post.

Frequently asked questions

Next steps

Sources

1. California Education Code § 67456 (current as of January 1, 2026) — FindLaw (California Code)
2. SB 206 (2019), Collegiate athletics: student athlete compensation and representation — California Legislative Information
3. SB 26 (2021) — California Legislative Information
4. Commissioner's Message No. 2: NIL (quotes CIF Bylaw 212.C) — CIF Southern Section
5. CIF Constitution and Bylaws — California Interscholastic Federation