Can high school athletes in Kentucky do NIL deals?

Yes, with conditions — and the longest restricted-category list in the country. Kentucky permits high school NIL under KHSAA Bylaw 10 §3: camps and lessons at market rate, product endorsements, and paid social media are all allowed, provided no school or KHSAA intellectual property is used and no coach or administrator is involved. A 20-category prohibited list (from tobacco and gambling through R-rated movies, tattoo parlors, and collegiate NIL collectives) applies. Kentucky statute adds a distinctive wrinkle: a parent may sign an NIL agreement on a minor's behalf, but the athlete must reaffirm the contract within 30 days of turning 18 or it is revoked by law.

Kentucky High School NIL Rules (KHSAA)

What's allowed

Work at camps, clinics, and instruction paid at prevailing market rate
Product or business endorsements not using school/district/region/association intellectual property
NIL activities and social media compensation not using school or association property

What's prohibited

Member-school intellectual property — trademarks, school uniforms, copyrights
KHSAA logos past and present, including past audio, video, and still images
School-owned or managed property
Compensation tied to specific ability, performance, or contest results (actual or speculative)
Involvement of any member-school coach or administrator
Recruiting/enrollment inducements (Bylaw 16)
Cigarettes, vaping, tobacco; betting or gambling; weapons, firearms, ammunition; contraceptives; tattoo parlors and body piercing; NC-17 and R-rated movies; M-rated video games; adult entertainment; hard liquor, beer, wine; 'high-risk' investments, business opportunities, and health offerings; cannabis; prescription pharmaceuticals; controlled substances; collegiate NIL collectives (20 categories total)

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 co-signature in KHSAA's own bylaws (the state statute is permissive — a parent MAY sign for a minor — but neither mandates a co-signature)
agent representation and eligibility
HS-level disclosure (the statute's 3-day pre-clearance mechanism applies only to postsecondary athletes)

Parental consent, disclosure & representation

Parental consent required

Not addressed

Disclosure required

No

School marks allowed

No

Agent / representation addressed

Not addressed

State-law status

No conflict - Bylaw 10 S3(b) verbatim mirrors KRS 156.070(2)(i), created by 2022 SB 6. The parent-may-sign / reaffirm-at-18 rule is codified at KRS 164.6951(3) (NOT inside the core Revised UAAA sections 164.6901-.6935): the clause is verbatim-unchanged since 2022, but its surrounding subsections were amended by 2025 SB 3 (eff. March 13, 2025) - citing '2022 SB 6' alone is one session stale. Kentucky's RUAAA reaches interscholastic athletes; anyone acting as an agent for a Kentucky high schooler must register (raa.ky.gov, Dept. of Professional Licensing).

Who sets this rule

Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) sets Kentucky'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

2024-25 KHSAA Handbook — Bylaw 10, Section 3 (July 1, 2024)
It is not a violation of Bylaw 10 and its amateur provisions for an enrolled student-athlete to receive compensation for: a. work at camps, clinics and instruction that is paid at a prevailing market rate; b. product or business endorsements not using the intellectual property of a member school, district, region or state association...
KHSAA Board of Control Policies — Restrictions on Advertising/Sponsorship Sales, NIL Guidance (20-category list) (July 1, 2024)
KRS 164.6951(3) - parent signing + reaffirmation at 18 (created 2022 SB 6; part amended 2025 SB 3) (March 13, 2025)
The parent or guardian of a minor student-athlete may enter the minor into a NIL agreement or an agency contract on the minor's behalf. However, the minor shall reaffirm the NIL agreement or agency contract within thirty (30) days of reaching the age of eighteen (18) or the contract or agreement shall be revoked.

Governing text effective March 9, 2022.

Change history

July 19, 2026 — Citation precision: parent/reaffirm rule pinned to KRS 164.6951(3); noted 2025 SB 3 amendments to adjacent subsections.

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.