Independent guide. Free educational resource — not legal advice, and not affiliated with the FHSAA, the NCAA, or any school or league. Every rule links to an official source.
NIL for KidsIndependent Parent's Guide
★ Rookie-year rules, explained

Can your kid get paid for being that good?

Short answer: in most of the country, yes — a middle- or high-schooler can now earn real money from their Name, Image & Likeness. The trap is doing it wrong and torching their eligibility. This free, independent guide shows you exactly what's allowed in your state, in plain English — no jargon, no sales pitch.

★

Built by Teddy Dupay — Florida's all-time leading high-school scorer, Final Four All-American, and FHSAA Hall of Famer who left every dollar of his own value on the table because this didn't exist. Now it does.

Can my kid do NIL?

60 SEC

Three taps. Nothing you enter leaves this page — it never touches a server.

1 · What grade is your athlete in?

2 · What state do you play in?

3 · Will a parent/guardian sign off & help run it?

0+
States + D.C. now allow HS NIL
2024
Florida said yes (Bylaw 9.9)
$0
You should ever pay to get a deal
1
Wrong move can end eligibility
NIL Elementary · the basics

Start here

What NIL is — and what your kid can actually get paid for

NIL = Name, Image & Likeness. It's your child's right to earn money from their own personal brand — their name, their photos and videos, their voice, their following. What changed: the NCAA opened college NIL on July 1, 2021, and since then most states have opened it for high-schoolers too. One key thing to keep straight — high-school NIL is decided state by state, and it is not the same as the college "revenue-sharing" news you've heard about.

✓ They CAN get paid for

  • Brand endorsements & sponsorships
  • Paid social-media posts (Instagram, TikTok)
  • Paid appearances, autograph signings, meet-and-greets
  • Running their own camps, clinics, or lessons
  • Merchandise with their name or likeness

✕ They CANNOT get paid for

  • Playing — no money tied to stats, wins, or minutes ("pay-for-play")
  • Using the school's name, logo, mascot, uniform, or facilities
  • Deals from a "collective" or as a reward to pick a school
  • Banned categories: gambling, alcohol, tobacco/vaping, cannabis, weapons, adult content
NIL Middle School · the rules

The guardrails

The five rules that protect eligibility

Break one of these and the penalty falls on the athlete — in Florida that's a warning, then a one-year suspension, then a career-ending ban. Get them right and NIL is completely safe.

Parent signs off

A minor can't sign a contract alone. A parent or guardian must consent — and honestly, should read every deal.

No school stuff

No school or team names, logos, mascots, or uniforms in the deal, and no NIL activity during a game.

Not for playing

Pay can't be tied to performance, and can't be a bribe to attend a school ("recruiting inducement").

Clean categories

No gambling/betting, alcohol, tobacco or vaping, cannabis/CBD, weapons, or adult content — ever.

Vetted help only

An agent may advise on NIL only (never a pro playing contract), and in Florida must be a registered agent or a licensed attorney.

Where it stands, state by state: roughly 40+ states plus D.C. now permit high-school NIL — including California, Texas, New York, and Florida. A small group still restricts it (Indiana, Michigan, Wyoming, Hawaii, among a few others), and it's changing fast — Ohio flipped to allowed in May 2026. Because it moves monthly, always confirm with your own state high-school athletic association before signing anything. See the current state tracker →

NIL PhD · the money

The advanced play

Once the checks come in: taxes, savings & not blowing it

NIL money is real income, which means real responsibilities — and a real opportunity to turn a teenager's brand into a head start on their future instead of a spent Venmo balance.

It's taxed
YES
You'll get a
1099
Must file at
$400
Set aside ~
30%
Roth IRA?
YES

It's taxable — and the trigger is low

NIL pay is usually self-employment income: expect a 1099, a Schedule C, income tax plus ~15.3% self-employment tax. Your athlete must file once net earnings hit just $400. Set aside ~30% of every check, keep records, and pay quarterly.

The hidden win: a Roth IRA

This is the move most families miss. Because NIL is earned income, a minor can open a custodial Roth IRA and contribute up to their earnings (max $7,500 in 2026). A few sponsorship checks at 15 can become a tax-free head start that compounds for 50 years.

Where you park it hits college aid

NIL income counts on the FAFSA. Cash sitting in the kid's name (a UTMA) is assessed up to 20% against need-based aid; a 529 is treated far gentler (~5.6%). So how you save it can quietly cost — or save — real aid dollars.

The one question for your CPA

Is the deal pay for services (earned — no "kiddie tax") or a passive royalty (unearned — can trigger kiddie tax at your rate)? That distinction flips the whole tax picture. It, plus multi-state deals and aid planning, is exactly where a CPA earns their fee.

Bottom line: handled right, a teenager's sponsorship money doesn't get spent on sneakers — it becomes a Roth IRA and a college head start. This is general education, not tax advice; loop in a CPA once real money moves. Get the free Starter Kit for the set-aside cheat sheet and the "safe first deal" walkthrough.

Read this before you sign anything

The scams targeting young athletes

The saddest calls we get are from families who got burned. NIL for minors is barely regulated, which means predators circle. Here's how to spot them.

The one rule that stops most of them

You should never pay money to receive a genuine NIL offer. A real brand pays your athlete — not the other way around. Anyone asking for an upfront "fee" to "secure a deal" is running a scam. Full stop.

Upfront feesPay us to "land you deals." Real offers cost you nothing.
DM out of nowhereUnsolicited "you've been selected" messages harvesting info or impersonating brands.
Sign your rights awayLifetime deals or contracts grabbing your IP or 15–40% commissions (licensed pros cap near 3%).
Fake "agents"Unlicensed "street agents." In Florida a rep must be a registered agent or a licensed attorney — verify it.
Rush & pressure"Sign today or lose it." Real deals survive a night's sleep and a parent's read.
Too good to be trueHuge money for a small following. Verify the brand directly, not through the messenger.

Why trust this guide

The guy who left it all on the table

#★
Teddy Dupay
FHSAA Hall of Fame · Final Four All-American

Teddy Dupay was the most valuable high-school basketball player in Florida history — the state's all-time leading scorer, a household name before he could vote — and he captured exactly zero dollars of it, because there was no legal way to. The rules that now let a kid earn from their own name didn't exist yet.

He went on to a Final Four All-American career, and in 2026 was inducted into the FHSAA Hall of Fame — cited for developing kids "on the court and in life" through his Academy. He is not an outside critic selling a course. He's the insider who lived the exact problem this guide solves.

No kid should leave their value on the table again.

Get the free NIL Starter Kit — and rule-change alerts

These rules change almost monthly (Ohio just flipped in May). Leave your email and we'll:

  • send the free NIL Starter Kit — a parent's checklist for a safe first deal,
  • email you the moment your state's rules change,
  • and warn you about active scams making the rounds.
✓ You're in — the Starter Kit is on its way. Welcome.
No spam, ever. We only email about NIL rules & scams, and never sell your address.

★ NIL Starter Kit

  • Is my state a "yes"? (how to confirm)
  • The parent-consent + disclosure checklist
  • 5 contract red flags to never sign
  • How to vet an agent or attorney
  • Set-aside-for-taxes cheat sheet
  • …and the "safe first deal" walkthrough
Sponsored — separate from our guidance

Need a vetted NIL attorney or agent?

A directory is free to browse and never changes what we teach above.

See our vetted-pro directory

Straight answers

Parent FAQ

Is my middle-schooler too young for NIL?
In most states that allow it, NIL applies to student-athletes at member schools (commonly grades 6–12) — so a motivated middle-schooler with a real following can qualify. The gate isn't age so much as your state's rules and having a parent involved. Younger kids without school-team affiliation generally aren't governed by these association rules at all.
Will this cost my kid their eligibility?
Only if you break a rule. NIL done correctly — parent consent, no school marks, not tied to performance, clean categories, vetted help — is fully allowed and safe. The penalties (in Florida: warning → 1-year suspension → career ban) fall on the athlete, which is exactly why we spell out the guardrails.
Isn't this the same as the big NCAA settlement I read about?
No — and keeping them separate matters. The House v. NCAA settlement and college "revenue sharing" are a college-only matter. High-school NIL is decided by each state's high-school athletic association. Don't let a college headline confuse your high-schooler's rules.
How do I know if my state allows it?
Roughly 40+ states plus D.C. now permit high-school NIL; a handful (Indiana, Michigan, Wyoming, Hawaii, and a few others) still restrict it, and it changes often. Use the checker above for a quick read, then confirm directly with your state high-school athletic association — that's the authoritative source.
Does my kid owe taxes on NIL money?
Yes — NIL income is generally taxable self-employment income (usually a 1099 + Schedule C, plus ~15.3% self-employment tax), and a minor must file once net earnings hit just $400, so set aside ~30% of each check. The upside: because it's earned income, a minor can open a Roth IRA — turning sponsorship money into a lifelong head start. See the money section for the full breakdown. General info, not tax advice — get a CPA once real money moves.
Who runs this site — and is it official?
It's an independent educational resource built by Teddy Dupay (contact: theteddygroup@gmail.com), not affiliated with the FHSAA, the NCAA, or any school. It's not legal advice. We link official sources so you can verify everything yourself.