College and high-school name, image & likeness rules for Maryland (MD) — at a glance, in plain English. Not legal advice; confirm with a compliance office before acting.
At a glance
NIL in Maryland today.
College NIL: Legal (state law). High-school NIL: Allowed, per State NIL law + MPSSAA (HS). NIL collectives: operating. Deal-disclosure threshold: $600. Governing statute: Maryland SB 439 (2021) - Jordan McNair Safe and Fair Play Act (Md. Code, Educ. § 15-131), active, effective July 2021. High-school governance: Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA). Last reviewed August 2026 — this is a plain-English overview pending verification, not legal advice.
What to know
How the rules play out in Maryland.
Maryland enacted an NIL law covering college athletes at in-state institutions. The MPSSAA has moved toward permitting high-school NIL under amateurism guardrails. Collectives are active around the state's Big Ten program; confirm each school's disclosure threshold.
Who governs NIL in Maryland
Maryland's college NIL law is the Jordan McNair Safe and Fair Play Act (SB 439 of 2021, Chapter 138), codified at Md. Code, Educ. § 15-131. It applies to public institutions of higher education and is named for the University of Maryland football player who died in 2018; the same act added athlete health-and-safety mandates alongside NIL rights. The act's provisions phased in on July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2023, with the NIL provisions reported in the later tranche. High-school NIL is governed by MPSSAA guidance, unanimously approved by Maryland's local school systems in December 2022, which lets student-athletes do NIL deals while keeping eligibility under the state amateur rule in COMAR 13A.06.03. Since 2025, college deals of 600 dollars or more also go through the House-settlement NIL Go clearinghouse.
What the McNair Act actually says
Section 15-131's core provisions, per the official statute text as of August 2026:
§ 15-131(b): a public institution, athletic association, or the NCAA may not prevent a student athlete from earning NIL compensation, and the institution may not reduce a scholarship because the athlete earns it.
§ 15-131(c): institutions and athletic organizations may not pay prospective student athletes for NIL as a recruiting inducement, and may not prevent athletes from obtaining professional or legal representation.
§ 15-131(d): athletic program contracts may not restrict an athlete's NIL use during non-team activities, though institutions may limit third-party advertising during official team activities without prior approval.
§ 15-131(e): athletes must disclose NIL contracts to their institution, and deals may not conflict with existing athletic program contracts.
§ 15-131(f): the law grants no right to use the institution's trademarks, logos, or other university-owned intellectual property.
High-school rules
The MPSSAA's published NIL guidance permits commercial endorsements, promotional activities, social media monetization, product or service ads, and NFTs, but it walls NIL off from school sports. Key restrictions in the guidance:
No reference to a member school, local school system, or the MPSSAA in any NIL activity, and no wearing a school team jersey or displaying school name, mascot, or logo when marketing an NIL product or service.
No endorsing or promoting a third-party NIL partner during school-based team activities and events, including wearing third-party apparel or displaying its logo.
Prohibited categories: adult entertainment, alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products, cannabis, controlled dangerous substances, prescription pharmaceuticals, casinos and gambling including sports betting, and weapons.
School employees, contractors, and volunteers may not act as an athlete's NIL representative, promise NIL to entice a transfer, provide NIL-related financial benefits, or form or direct an NIL collective.
Violations can cost amateur status under COMAR 13A.06.03.02F and .10; a student ruled ineligible may have to wait 60 days before seeking reinstatement through the MPSSAA appeals process.
The practical read
A Maryland college athlete at a public institution can monetize NIL, hire an agent or lawyer, and receive House-settlement revenue sharing, but must disclose contracts to the school, avoid conflicts with team sponsors, and cannot use school marks without separate permission. A Maryland high schooler can earn NIL money as long as the deal never touches their school: no school marks, no deals promoted at team events, none of the prohibited categories, and no school staff or collectives involved. Families engaging agents should be mindful of the Maryland Uniform Athlete Agents Act.
What's moving
As of August 2026 Maryland has not replaced the McNair Act with a post-House-settlement statute, so the settlement framework - direct school pay under the roughly 20.5-million-dollar first-year cap and NIL Go review of third-party deals of 600 dollars or more - operates alongside § 15-131 for the state's public universities. The MPSSAA guidance remains the operative high-school rule, republished on the association's site in 2026; watch for legislative activity as other states codify settlement terms.
Go deeper
Compare states, then run your numbers.
Compare Maryland 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 Maryland?
Yes — college athletes in Maryland can earn from their name, image, and likeness. Status: Legal (state law). Maryland 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 Maryland?
High-school NIL status in Maryland: Allowed, per State NIL law + MPSSAA (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 Maryland?
The working disclosure threshold here is "$600." 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 Maryland high school athletes appear in a commercial if they leave their jersey at home?
Generally yes. The MPSSAA guidance permits commercials and endorsements so long as the athlete makes no reference to their school or the MPSSAA, does not wear school-identifying apparel, and stays out of prohibited categories like alcohol, gambling, and vaping products. Check the current guidance with your athletic director before filming anything.
Can a booster club or coach set up an NIL collective for a Maryland high school?
No. The MPSSAA guidance expressly bars member-school and school-system employees, contractors, and volunteers from forming, directing, or engaging an NIL collective for student-athletes, and from offering NIL promises to entice students to attend or transfer. Confirm with your county athletic office before any group NIL arrangement.
Why is Maryland's NIL law tied to athlete health rules?
The Jordan McNair Safe and Fair Play Act pairs NIL rights with health mandates because it was written in response to McNair's 2018 heatstroke death; the same Chapter 138 requires public institutions to adopt guidelines on brain injury, heat illness, and return-to-play protocols. The NIL and health provisions phased in between July 2021 and July 2023. Ask your school's compliance office how its policies implement both halves of the act.