NIL School

Your name is worth something.Learn to protect it.

Free lessons for high-school athletes on getting paid for your name, image and likeness without losing your eligibility.

Start lesson 1 Check your state

Free. Five lessons, about ten minutes. Get the Rules Kit PDF

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Teddy Dupay scored more points than any high-school player in Florida history. He made zero dollars from his name. You don't have to.

The rules changed. Here is how to use them right.

The lessons

Five things to know before you sign anything.

Lesson 1 · What it is

NIL is your brand. Your stats aren't for sale.

Name, image and likeness means your name, your photos and videos, your voice and your following. Brands can pay you to use them.

Lesson 2 · What pays

Five ways a high-schooler can earn.

Endorsements, paid posts, appearances and signings, running your own camp or lessons, and merch with your name on it.

Lesson 3 · How you lose it

Break a rule and you pay the price, not the brand.

In Florida: a warning first, then a year off the court, then the rest of your high-school career.

Lesson 4 · The money

It's real income. Save about 30% of every check.

You file taxes once you net $400. The smart move is a Roth IRA, which can grow tax-free for 50 years.

Lesson 5 · Scams

Real brands pay you. You never pay them.

Anyone who wants a fee to get you a deal is running a scam. So is a surprise DM asking for your birthday or address.

Lessons 1 and 2

Get paid for who you are. Never for how you play.

You can

With a parent signing off

  • Endorse a brandSponsorships with local businesses and companies
  • Get paid to postInstagram, TikTok and your other accounts
  • Show up and signAppearances, autographs, meet-and-greets
  • Run your own campClinics and lessons with your name on them
  • Sell your own merchYour name, your look, your design

You can't

Any of these can end your eligibility

  • Get paid for playingNothing tied to points, wins or minutes
  • Use your school's stuffNo school name, logo, mascot or uniform without written OK
  • Take money to pick a schoolNo recruiting deals, no collective money
  • Promote banned stuffBetting, alcohol, vaping, cannabis, weapons, adult content
  • Take a political or activism dealIt's on Florida's banned list

Lesson 3

Five rules. Keep them and you're safe.

  1. RULE 1A parent signs every deal.In Florida your parent is part of the deal too. Read every word together.
  2. RULE 2Leave the school out of it.No school name, logo, mascot or uniform unless the school says yes in writing. No NIL during a game.
  3. RULE 3Never get paid for playing.Pay can't depend on how you play, and it can't be a reason to go to a certain school.
  4. RULE 4Stay in clean categories.No betting, alcohol, vaping, cannabis, weapons or adult content. Ever.
  5. RULE 5Only take help from people you can check.An agent can advise on NIL only. In Florida, a lawyer who is a Florida Bar member is the safest pick.
First timeA formal warning. The deal is undone and the money goes back.
Second timeOne full year you can't play.
Third timeDone for the rest of high school.

Lesson 4

The money is real. So are the taxes.

Most NIL pay counts as self-employment income. Nobody takes taxes out for you, so you have to plan for it.

$400Net earnings in a year and you have to file a tax return.
~30%Set this much aside from every check for taxes.
$2,000A brand only has to send you a tax form above this. You can still owe tax with no form.
$7,500The most you can put in a Roth IRA for 2026, up to what you earned.

This is general education, not tax advice. Once real money comes in, your family should talk to a CPA.

Lesson 5

Never pay
to get paid.

A real brand pays you. Anyone asking for money first is running a scam.

The "fee"Pay us and we'll land you deals. Real offers cost you nothing.
The surprise DM"You've been selected!" Then they want your birthday, address or password.
The forever contractRights to your image for life, or your social accounts. Never.
The big cutNFL agents are capped at 3% of a playing contract. A double-digit cut is a red flag.
The fake agentAnyone can call themselves an NIL agent. Check them yourself.
The clock"Sign tonight or lose it." A real deal can wait for your parent to read it.

Where you live matters

All but six states say yes.

High-school NIL is decided state by state. These six don't allow it for an ordinary high-school athlete:

AlabamaArkansasHawaiiMississippiTexasWyoming

Playing in Florida? You're allowed.

Florida has allowed high-school NIL since the 2024–25 school year, under FHSAA Bylaw 9.10. South Carolina's rulebook is unclear, so ask there first. Rules change fast, so always check with your own state association before you sign.

Check your state in 60 seconds

Who's teaching

Coach Teddy left it all on the table.

No. 1Florida's all-time leading high-school scorer
Final FourAll-American in college
2026Inducted into the FHSAA Hall of Fame
$0What he could earn from his name. There was no legal way.

Teddy Dupay was the most valuable high-school basketball player in Florida history, and the rules back then said he couldn't earn a dollar from it. The rules changed. NIL School exists so you use them the right way, keep your eligibility, and start building something that lasts.

Free download

Get the full Rules Kit.

An 8-page PDF, emailed to you. Print it, read it with a parent, and keep it for the day an offer shows up.

  • What you can and can't do, and the five rules
  • Your state, the money and taxes, the six scams
  • A checklist to use before anyone signs

For athletes 13 and older and their parents. We'll email the kit and let you know if the rules change. Nothing else, and we never sell your email. Privacy

Last step

Bring a parent in.

Every deal needs a parent's signature. Send them the full parent guide. It's free.

Open the parent guide See all six states, with the rule text