Can high school athletes in Georgia do NIL deals?

Yes, with conditions. Georgia high school athletes may do NIL deals. The GHSA does not prohibit students from engaging in commercial activities as individuals, and NIL activity does not risk amateur status — provided the deal never uses school or GHSA identity, is not tied to athletic performance or enrollment, and is reported to the school principal or athletic director within 7 calendar days. Membership in NIL collectives is banned outright.

Georgia High School NIL Rules (GHSA)

What's allowed

Commercial NIL activity in the athlete's individual capacity (endorsements, promotions, paid social media)
A parent or guardian may make the required 7-day notification on the athlete's behalf

What's prohibited

Any use of school 'marks' — school logos, school name, school uniforms, school mascot, or any trademarked GHSA logo or acronyms
Wearing school apparel or equipment bearing those marks in NIL activity
Use of member-school facilities
Activity conflicting with the local district's policy on tobacco, alcohol, or controlled substances
Compensation contingent on athletic performance
Enrollment inducements
Being a member of, or receiving compensation or any benefit from, a Collective or NIL Club — a membership ban, broader than a pay ban

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 or co-signature on the NIL agreement itself (a parent may act as the notifier — that is not a co-signature requirement)
agent or professional representation

Parental consent, disclosure & representation

Parental consent required

Not addressed

Disclosure required

Yes

School marks allowed

No

Agent / representation addressed

Not addressed

Disclosure runs to: The school principal or athletic director, within 7 calendar days of entering any NIL contract. Reporting runs to the school, not to the GHSA.

State-law status

Georgia HB 383 (the 'Georgia High School NIL Protection Act') would bar associations from penalizing NIL and would collide with GHSA's collectives ban. Its enactment status is NOT established — we do not assert it either way.

Who sets this rule

Georgia High School Association (GHSA) sets Georgia'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

GHSA Constitution & By-Laws 2025-2026, Appendix N — Guidelines Regarding Name, Image and Likeness (July 19, 2025)
The GHSA does not specifically prohibit students from engaging in certain commercial activities as individuals.
GHSA Appendix N — marks prohibition (July 19, 2025)
No "marks" may be used including, but not limited to, school logos, school name, school uniforms, school mascot, or any trademarked GHSA logo or acronyms.
GHSA Appendix N — collectives ban and 7-day notification (July 19, 2025)
Within seven (7) calendar days after entering into any type of NIL contract/agreement, a student, or the student's parents/guardians, must notify the Principal or Athletic Director of the student's school of entering into that agreement.

Governing text effective July 19, 2025.

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.