Can high school athletes in Arkansas do NIL deals?

On paper yes; for most athletes, effectively no. AAA Rule 10 bars accepting compensation for use of a student's name, picture, or person in advertising. Rule 10.E defers to the Arkansas Student-Athlete Publicity Rights Act — but that statute defines 'student-athlete' as someone who has already been ADMITTED to, or signed a National Letter of Intent or written agreement with, an Arkansas college. A sophomore or junior with no college commitment has no NIL right under either document. The common press framing that 'Arkansas allows high school NIL' is imprecise: the right only opens once an athlete is effectively college-bound, and disclosure then runs to the college, not the AAA.

Arkansas High School NIL Rules (AAA)

What's allowed

Once admitted/signed to an Arkansas institution of higher education: NIL rights under the Arkansas Student-Athlete Publicity Rights Act (with the statute's own restrictions)
Uniform and equipment manufacturer names, logos, or marks are permitted on competition apparel (Rule 10.C.5)

What's prohibited

Directly or indirectly accepting gifts, products, awards, or monetary compensation for permitting name, picture, or person to be used to advertise, promote, or recommend a product, service, or venture (Rule 10.C.3 — the general-population bar)
Compensation beyond actual reasonable meals, lodging, and transportation (10.C.2)
Compensation for participation in an event (10.C.4)
Competition-site apparel or equipment used as advertising (10.C.5)
Once the statute applies: school names, trademarks, landmarks, facilities, uniforms, songs, mascots, logos (§4-75-1307(a)(3))
Once the statute applies: adult entertainment, alcohol, casinos/gambling/sports betting, tobacco/marijuana/vaping, pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, weapons, competition-banned substances (§4-75-1307(b))

What the document is silent on

Silence is not permission and not prohibition — the governing document simply does not address these. We list them because most summaries wrongly convert silence into "no".

parental consent on an NIL contract (genuinely silent in both documents — note the handbook's parent-signed Participant Agreement covers the SCHOOL's promotional use of the child's likeness, which is a different question)
collectives and boosters (never appear in Rule 10)

Parental consent, disclosure & representation

Parental consent required

Not addressed

Disclosure required

Yes

School marks allowed

No

Agent / representation addressed

Yes

Disclosure runs to: The institution of higher education (not the AAA, not the high school), including contract terms, conditions, parties, and compensation amounts — within a window each college sets (no fixed statutory deadline). The same duty binds the athlete's agent (§4-75-1306).

State-law status

Arkansas Student-Athlete Publicity Rights Act — originally Act 2021 No. 810, amended by Act 589 of 2023 (HB1649, enacted April 11, 2023, VERIFIED from the legislature's own bill tracker). No conflict: Rule 10.E defers to the statute. Agents must be licensed in-state (§4-75-1305(a)); institutions may not penalize athletes for obtaining representation (§4-75-1305(b)).

Who sets this rule

Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) sets Arkansas's high school eligibility rules. High school NIL is governed by private association bylaws — not federal law, and in most states not statute — which is why the answer differs state to state and can change in a single handbook cycle.

Sources

2025-2026 AAA Handbook — Rule 10 (Amateurism), incl. 10.E (July 1, 2025)
Notwithstanding this rule or any other rule herein, a student may exercise such rights as are provided for under the Arkansas Student-Athlete Publicity Rights Act, Arkansas Code Ann. Sec. 4-75-1301, et seq.
Ark. Code Ann. § 4-75-1302 — definitions (the college-admission gate) (April 11, 2023)
'Student-athlete' means an individual who: (i) Has been accepted into admission or signed a National Letter of Intent or other written agreement to enroll in an institution of higher education within Arkansas; or (ii) Is enrolled at an institution of higher education...
Arkansas General Assembly — HB1649 / Act 589 of 2023 (April 11, 2023)

Governing text effective April 11, 2023.

Change history

July 19, 2026 — Initial publication from primary-source research pass (adversarially verified; see citations).

Not legal advice. This page documents publicly available rules and is not legal advice. Rules change, and associations do not always announce changes. Confirm anything you rely on with the governing association, your school compliance office, or your own counsel before acting.

Spot an error? Tell us and cite the source — we re-check the primary source before changing anything, and record what changed.