IHSAA board votes to allow Indiana high school athletes to sign NIL deals
High school athletes in Indiana will soon be able to sign NIL deals. The Indiana High School Athletics Association (IHSAA) board voted to approve “personal branding activities” starting with the 2026-27 school year. The IHSAA board of directors passed the PBA rule change by a 13-5 vote, which will allow athletes to sign NIL deals while maintaining their amateur status.
Deals cannot include school representation or be related to products such as gambling, alcohol or banned substances, among others. SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter Indiana was one of a handful of states to entirely prohibit NIL at the high school level. When the new rule takes effect, it will become the 46th state to allow athletes to sign deals, along with the District of Columbia.
Some states have certain restrictions on high school NIL, though. “Unlike the current college system, where schools often play a direct role in NIL compensation, the new rule keeps high schools out of arranging or funding deals for student-athletes,” said IHSAA commissioner Paul Neidig in a statement. “Instead, it allows students to benefit independently from their school, without using school branding or representing school-sponsored endorsements.
It creates a clear distinction between the college model and the educational mission of high school athletics. “We believe it is far better to be proactive and create thoughtful, education-based guidelines than to have policies forced upon high school athletics. This approach allows to protect the values of high school sports while adapting responsibly to a changing landscape.
” This story will be updated.