College and high-school name, image & likeness rules for Massachusetts (MA) — at a glance, in plain English. Not legal advice; confirm with a compliance office before acting.
At a glance
NIL in Massachusetts today.
College NIL: No state law. High-school NIL: Allowed, per NCAA policy + House settlement · MIAA (HS). NIL collectives: operating. Deal-disclosure threshold: $600. High-school governance: Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). Last reviewed August 2026 — this is a plain-English overview pending verification, not legal advice.
What to know
How the rules play out in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts has no enacted college NIL statute as of August 2026: H.1930 was reported out of the Judiciary Committee in October 2025 but was sent to a study order in March 2026, effectively shelving it — so college NIL runs on NCAA policy and the House settlement. The MIAA's amateurism rule (Rule 47) lets high schoolers do NIL work that stays clear of school identity — no school uniforms, marks, or affiliation in any paid promotion. Collectives are active and legally permitted at the college level, with third-party deals at settlement schools generally reviewed at the $600 national NIL Go clearinghouse threshold.
Who governs NIL in Massachusetts
As of August 2026, Massachusetts has no enacted college NIL statute and no executive order with the force of law that our research could verify — the operative framework is NCAA policy, each school's own NIL rules, and the House v. NCAA settlement regime. The NCAA's interim policy states that for institutions in states without NIL laws, an athlete's eligibility will not be impacted by the amateurism bylaw if they engage in NIL activity, while pay-for-play and recruiting-inducement prohibitions remain in effect. The only statewide NIL rulebook actually in force in Massachusetts is on the high-school side, where the MIAA amended its amateurism rule in 2022.
Where Massachusetts legislation stands
H.1930, filed by Representative Francisco Paulino, is the state's most developed attempt at an NIL statute. Its official history:
Referred to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary February 27, 2025; hearing held July 15, 2025; reported out of committee October 20, 2025.
March 26, 2026: the bill was accompanied by a study order (H.5281) — the legislature's customary way of shelving a bill for the session without a floor vote.
As reported, the bill would codify NIL compensation rights and scholarship protection, require deal disclosure to the school within 72 hours, register agents with a 15 percent fee cap, require institutional NIL compliance officers, exempt NIL agreements from public records, and take effect July 1, 2027.
High-school rules
MIAA Handbook Rule 47 (Amateurism — Name, Image, Likeness — Loss of Amateur Standing) governs. Rule 47.1.3 permits a student-athlete to profit off the use of their own name, image, and likeness and be represented by an attorney or sports agent, subject to compliance with the policy; permissible activities include commercial endorsements, promotional activities, social media presence, product or service advertisements and non-fungible tokens.
No one employed by a member school may be involved with an athlete's NIL except to enforce the policy, and athletes must give their school copies of any endorsement, employment and representation agreements.
Athletes may not reference the school or MIAA, may not endorse third parties during MIAA school team or tournament activities, and may not wear an NIL partner's apparel or display its logo during those activities.
Prohibited categories: adult entertainment; alcohol, tobacco, nicotine and vaping products; cannabis; controlled dangerous substances; prescription pharmaceuticals; gambling including sports betting and the lottery; and weapons, firearms and ammunition.
Rule 47's own note warns that compliance with the MIAA provision does not ensure eligibility under other organizations' rules, such as the NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA.
The practical read
A Massachusetts college athlete's NIL life runs on school policy plus national rules: deals are permitted under the NCAA framework, larger third-party deals reportedly route through the House settlement's clearinghouse process, and there is no extra state statute to satisfy — but also no extra state protection if a school's policy is restrictive. A Massachusetts high schooler has been able to do NIL deals since 2022 — reportedly the 16th state to allow it — as long as school identity stays out of the deal, the restricted categories are avoided, and copies of every agreement go to the school.
What's moving
The batch classification for Massachusetts lists it as having an NIL law; our research as of August 2026 found the college-side framework still resting on NCAA policy and the House settlement, with H.1930 parked under a study order in March 2026 — so the statute entry above records the pending bill rather than an enacted law. Watch for the bill's refiling in the next session. Nationally, the April 3, 2026 executive order ties college athletics compliance, including NIL practices, to federal funding eligibility, which raises the stakes for Massachusetts schools operating without a state statute.
Go deeper
Compare states, then run your numbers.
Compare Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts?
Yes — college athletes in Massachusetts can earn from their name, image, and likeness. Status: No state law. Massachusetts relies on NCAA policy and the House settlement rather than a distinct state statute. Confirm the current rules with each school's compliance office.
Can high school athletes earn NIL in Massachusetts?
High-school NIL status in Massachusetts: Allowed, per NCAA policy + House settlement · MIAA (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 Massachusetts?
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.
Does a Massachusetts high schooler lose amateur status by taking NIL money?
Not if the deal stays inside MIAA Rule 47.1.3's parameters — the rule frames a violation as capitalizing on athletic fame outside those limits. Deals must avoid school references, restricted product categories, and any promotion during MIAA team or tournament activities, with agreement copies provided to the school. Confirm with your athletic director and the current handbook before signing.
What would H.1930 change for Massachusetts college athletes?
As reported out of committee, it would add a 72-hour deal-disclosure requirement, agent registration with a 15 percent fee cap, mandatory institutional compliance officers, and public-records protection for NIL agreements, effective July 1, 2027. It was accompanied by a study order in March 2026, so none of that is law yet. Treat these provisions as proposals until an enacted version is published.
Can MIAA athletes sell NFTs as part of their NIL activity?
Yes — Rule 47.1.3 expressly lists non-fungible tokens among permissible activities, alongside endorsements, promotions, social media presence and advertisements. The same school-separation and category restrictions apply to an NFT project as to any other deal. Verify the current rule text with the MIAA before launching anything.