College and high-school name, image & likeness rules for Kentucky (KY) — at a glance, in plain English. Not legal advice; confirm with a compliance office before acting.
At a glance
NIL in Kentucky today.
College NIL: Legal (state law). High-school NIL: Allowed, per State NIL law / executive order + KHSAA (HS). NIL collectives: operating. Deal-disclosure threshold: Any deal. Governing statute: Kentucky SB 6 (2022), as amended by SB 3 (2025) (KRS 164.6945), amended, effective March 2022. High-school governance: Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA). Last reviewed August 2026 — this is a plain-English overview pending verification, not legal advice.
What to know
How the rules play out in Kentucky.
Kentucky's college NIL framework began with an executive order and has been reinforced since. The KHSAA has permitted high-school NIL under conditions that keep school marks and boosters out of the deal. Collectives are highly active around the state's flagship basketball program; schools tend to expect broad disclosure.
Who governs NIL in Kentucky
Kentucky's college NIL rules started with Governor Beshear's Executive Order 2021-418 in June 2021 and were codified by SB 6, signed March 9, 2022, at KRS 164.6940 to 164.6945. The statute has since been amended twice, most recently by SB 3 effective March 13, 2025, to fold in the House settlement's direct-pay world. High-school sports run through the KHSAA, whose bylaws are adopted as state regulation via 702 KAR 7:065 and have permitted high-school NIL since 2023.
What KRS 164.6945 says
The current text is short and concrete:
KRS 164.6945(1): a student-athlete may receive compensation through an NIL agreement with a third party, consistent with the prevailing range of compensation for the authorized use of their NIL.
KRS 164.6945(2): an athlete may receive compensation directly from an institution or its affiliated corporation, including sharing revenue as permitted or required by a legal settlement or applicable law, under a written institutional agreement (added by the 2025 amendment).
KRS 164.6945(3): an institution may designate a media rights holder or other third parties with whom its athletes may directly enter NIL agreements.
KRS 164.6945(4)(a)-(e): no NIL deals endorsing sports betting, controlled substances, substances banned by the athlete's athletic association, adult entertainment, or products or services illegal for the athlete to possess.
History line: created by 2022 Ky. Acts ch. 12 (SB 6), amended by 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 194 and by 2025 Ky. Acts ch. 10 (SB 3), effective March 13, 2025.
High-school rules
The KHSAA amended Bylaws 10 and 16 in 2023 to allow high-school NIL, reportedly making Kentucky the 31st state to do so.
Allowed: product or business endorsements and pay for working camps or clinics, at a prevailing market rate for the activity using the student's NIL.
Prohibited: compensation directly related to specific ability, performance, or contest results, actual or speculative.
Prohibited: using member-school trademarks, uniforms, or logos, or KHSAA logos and event imagery, past or present, in NIL deals.
No one connected to a member school may give or promise NIL compensation to recruit or induce an athlete to enroll.
In August 2024 the KHSAA board directed staff to build a notification mechanism so NIL recipients report agreements to their school's designated representative; the commissioner described it as notification, not approval.
Violations of Bylaw 10 can bring a period of ineligibility and other discipline.
The practical read
A Kentucky college athlete can sign third-party deals at market rates, and since March 2025 can also be paid directly by their school, including settlement-based revenue sharing. A Kentucky high schooler can earn endorsement and camp money as long as the deal stays performance-neutral and away from school and KHSAA branding. As of August 2026, Division I third-party deals of 600 dollars or more are also reported through the NIL Go clearinghouse under the House settlement.
What's moving
SB 3 of 2025 is Kentucky's post-House-settlement modernization, putting institutional pay and revenue sharing directly into the statute, and the 2024 amendment had already adjusted the framework after the NCAA scrapped the National Letter of Intent. On the high-school side, watch the KHSAA's NIL reporting mechanism, which the board set in motion in August 2024 and may formalize further.
Go deeper
Compare states, then run your numbers.
Compare Kentucky with every other state in the NIL Rules by State tracker, estimate your take-home on NIL income with the free NIL Tax Calculator, and see what your name, image, and likeness is actually worth with HDBND's free athlete tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is college NIL legal in Kentucky?
Yes — college athletes in Kentucky can earn from their name, image, and likeness. Status: Legal (state law). Kentucky has its own NIL statute layered on top of NCAA policy and the House settlement. Confirm the current rules with each school's compliance office.
Can high school athletes earn NIL in Kentucky?
High-school NIL status in Kentucky: Allowed, per State NIL law / executive order + KHSAA (HS). It's generally permitted under the association's amateurism and recruiting guardrails. This is a general overview, not legal advice.
Do athletes have to disclose NIL deals in Kentucky?
The working disclosure threshold here is "Any deal." Under the House settlement, third-party deals at or above $600 at participating schools go to the NIL Go clearinghouse for review; some schools ask for every deal. Confirm your school's exact process.
Can Kentucky schools like UK or Louisville pay athletes directly?
Yes. Since SB 3 took effect on March 13, 2025, KRS 164.6945(2) lets an athlete receive compensation from the institution or its affiliated corporation under a written agreement, including revenue sharing permitted by a legal settlement such as the House settlement. Terms vary by school, so confirm specifics with the athletic department's compliance office.
What can't a Kentucky college athlete endorse?
KRS 164.6945(4) bars NIL deals endorsing sports betting, controlled substances, substances the athlete's athletic association bans, adult entertainment, and products or services that would be illegal for the athlete to possess or receive. Schools may layer their own restrictions on top. Run any borderline deal past your compliance office before signing.
Can Kentucky high schoolers get paid to work camps or clinics?
Yes. The KHSAA's amended Bylaw 10 reportedly allows students to be paid for working camps or clinics and for endorsements, as long as pay is not tied to athletic performance and no school or KHSAA marks are used. Confirm current bylaw language with your athletic director before accepting payment.