West Virginia Just Opened the NIL Door to Middle & High School Athletes and Here’s What That Means for Families
West Virginia just became the first state to allow middle and high school athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). This groundbreaking high school NIL policy opens new doors for young athletes and new risks. From local brand partnerships to multi-year endorsements, opportunities now start before college. But without the right education and guidance, families could face costly mistakes. In this post, we break down what the policy means, the potential pitfalls, and how early NIL education can help athletes protect their eligibility, academics, and long-term brand value.
By: Kalei Mahi
Imagine being 15 and signing your first endorsement deal before you even take the SAT. That’s now a reality in West Virginia.
As of August 11, 2025, West Virginia became the first state to allow middle and high school athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). The policy was approved by the state board in July and officially takes effect today. It sets clear eligibility guidelines to protect amateur status while leaving room for adjustments as NIL rules continue to evolve.
Why This Policy Matters
For young athletes, the door to NIL deals has typically stayed locked until they committed to a college program. Now, a freshman quarterback could partner with a local car dealership, or a sophomore volleyball player could collaborate with a regional apparel brand. These opportunities can help fund training, travel, and exposure without forcing families to relocate for better access to resources.
It’s also a retention strategy. For years, states have watched their top talent leave for better recruiting pipelines or stronger NIL markets elsewhere. West Virginia’s new policy gives athletes a reason to stay and build their brand locally.
The Opportunity and the Risk
I’ve been saying for a long time that NIL education needs to start earlier. West Virginia just made that possible by allowing talented athletes to monetize their brand as early as middle school.
This creates exciting possibilities, but it also opens the door for bad actors to take advantage of young athletes and their families. Without proper guidance, it’s easy to sign contracts that undervalue an athlete’s worth, lock them into long-term commitments that limit their growth, or put academics and eligibility at risk.
How Families Can Navigate the New NIL Landscape
That’s where my work with NextGen Legacy NIL comes in. I help athletes and their families:
Cut through the noise and understand the fine print in contracts
Build a personal brand that aligns with their values and grows with them as they begin to settle into who they are as young adults
Prioritize academics and athletic performance alongside NIL growth
Create a long-term strategy so early deals don’t limit future opportunities
Provide access to financial advisors, NIL legal experts, licensed child psychologists, and wellness experts to serve the whole athlete, not just part
The earlier we start building that strategy, the better positioned an athlete is to grab the right opportunities without sacrificing eligibility, education, or long-term goals.
What Happens Next
The challenge now is execution. Will schools and families have the resources and awareness to make smart decisions? Can they balance NIL activity with education and long-term athlete development?
The answers to those questions will determine whether West Virginia’s decision becomes a model for other states or a cautionary tale.
West Virginia took the first step. The rest of the country is watching closely to see if it’s a monster step forward or just another splashy headline.
NIL GO Launches Today: What Brands, Agencies, Athletes, and PMs Need to Know
NIL GO is live, and it’s already changing how brands and agencies plan athlete partnerships. With all NIL deals over $600 now requiring algorithmic review, marketers must rethink timelines, approvals, and campaign readiness. Whether you’re a national brand or a local sponsor, this post breaks down what NIL GO means for you, why it matters, and how to stay ahead in the evolving NIL landscape.
By: Kalei Mahi
A new NIL reality begins today.
As of July 1, any NIL deal over $600 must go through a formal compliance review through the new NCAA compliance platform, NIL GO, created by Deloitte. Each deal will be processed through an algorithm and either approved, flagged for more information, or denied.
While most of the attention has been on how this affects student-athletes, schools, and collectives, brands and agencies now have a new set of operational challenges to solve. This isn’t just about red tape. This is about timelines, logistics, and campaign risk.
As someone who’s led hundreds of influencer and creator campaigns on both the brand and agency side, I know how much time and coordination it already takes to get a campaign live. Add an unpredictable new review layer into the mix, and you’ve got a situation that could easily delay launches or force last-minute pivots.
This change affects everyone, from national brands to small business sponsors, and how we prepare will determine who stays ahead.
How NIL GO Impacts Brands of All Sizes
Whether you're a global brand or a local business supporting a standout athlete, NIL GO introduces a new set of timing and workflow risks.
For Large Brands:
With multiple stakeholders and internal sign-offs already built into your process, the addition of NIL GO can create even tighter approval windows. If your campaign is tied to key events like playoff games, retail launches, or back-to-school season, you now need to start even earlier than usual to keep everything on track.
For Small Businesses:
If you're handling your own influencer marketing or working with limited resources, this process could be even more disruptive. A flagged or delayed NIL deal might mean missing your moment entirely, especially if you're operating with narrow timing or budget flexibility.
Best Practices for Navigating NIL GO
To manage this transition, here are four strategies every marketing and project team should implement immediately:
Build in a 7–10 day compliance buffer.
Treat NIL GO approval as its own phase. Don’t assume the review will be quick or automatic. Make sure to plan for the possibility of delays.Finalize paperwork before production begins.
Deals need to be submitted for approval before you brief creators, ship product, or book shoot days. If a deal gets denied or flagged late, you’re back to square one.Align closely with athletes and their reps.
Make sure athletes understand what’s needed on their end. Missing documentation or slow responses can delay the entire campaign.Avoid “moment marketing” unless you’re ready.
Trending moments and last-minute activations are exciting, but now carry big risk. If compliance doesn’t move fast enough, you could miss the window entirely.
This Is a Stress Test
Over the next 3 to 6 months, we’ll find out how efficient this NIL GO process really is. Some deals may fly through without issue. Others might get delayed for reasons that are difficult to troubleshoot. What’s clear is that this will be a stress test for everyone’s timelines.
If you’ve worked in influencer or athlete marketing or on the brand or agency side of the business, you already know: success is all about margin. Margin for review. Margin for reshoots. Margin for approvals. That margin just got smaller.
Final Thoughts: Plan Early, Communicate Often
Brands that build smarter, more resilient campaign timelines will be the ones that thrive in this new environment. This isn’t a reason to panic, but it is a reason to prepare.
Brands need to give time, space, and structure they need to succeed, and recognize that agency and athlete partners are now navigating this shift in real time.
If you're a brand or agency looking to run NIL campaigns with less stress and more strategy, I can help. I work with teams to build campaigns that are legally compliant, creatively sound, and athlete-first.
📩 Let’s connect and plan your next NIL campaign with intention.