College and high-school name, image & likeness rules for Montana (MT) — at a glance, in plain English. Not legal advice; confirm with a compliance office before acting.
At a glance
NIL in Montana today.
College NIL: Legal (state law). High-school NIL: Allowed, per State NIL law + MHSA (HS). NIL collectives: operating. Deal-disclosure threshold: Not specified. Governing statute: Montana SB 248 (2021) (Mont. Code Ann. § 20-1-232), amended, effective June 2023. High-school governance: Montana High School Association (MHSA). Last reviewed August 2026 — this is a plain-English overview pending verification, not legal advice.
What to know
How the rules play out in Montana.
Montana has an NIL framework permitting college athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness. The MHSA has generally allowed high-school NIL within its eligibility and amateurism rules. Activity is smaller-scale statewide; rely on each school's compliance office for disclosure specifics.
Who governs NIL in Montana
College NIL in Montana is governed by Mont. Code Ann. 20-1-232, enacted as SB 248 in 2021 with a delayed effective date reported as June 1, 2023, and amended in 2025 (Ch. 380 and Ch. 407, Laws of 2025). High school NIL falls under the Montana High School Association, whose member schools voted at the January 2025 annual meeting to amend the Amateur Rule (Section 16 of the MHSA handbook) to allow NIL activity for the first time.
What SB 248 actually says
The statute defines student-athlete rights and limits what schools and athletic associations can do about them.
§ 20-1-232: student-athlete rights means the right to earn compensation for use of the student-athlete's name, image, or likeness and to contract with and retain an athlete agent.
§ 20-1-232: a postsecondary institution may not prohibit, prevent, or restrict a student-athlete from exercising those rights, penalize or retaliate for exercising them, or bar the athlete from a sport for exercising them.
§ 20-1-232: an athlete who signs an NIL contract shall disclose it to an institution official - at signing if already a team member, otherwise when seeking to join a team.
§ 20-1-232: institutions and athletic associations, conferences, or organizations with authority over intercollegiate sports may not themselves pay a prospective or current student-athlete for NIL use.
Reported companion limits: an NIL deal may not conflict with team rules or institutional contracts, but team rules may not block NIL earnings outside official team activities.
High-school rules
The amended MHSA Amateur Rule allows NIL, but only with a hard wall between the deal and the school. Key limits in the association's published rule text include:
16.1(d): an athlete forfeits amateur status by permitting use of name, image, and/or likeness as an athlete to promote a commercial or profit-making event, item, plan, or service, except as provided under By-Law 16.2.
16.2: NIL activities may not show the student in uniform or gear provided by the school or MHSA, and may not use school or MHSA facilities, products, copyrights, equipment, or practice/game film.
16.2: no promoting any person or entity during the school day or team activities, and no sponsor logos or insignia while subject to school or MHSA uniform and dress requirements.
16.2: compensation may not come from the member school, its agents (such as booster clubs or foundations), or anyone trying to induce the student to attend a school.
16.2: no promoting alcohol, tobacco, nicotine or vaping, controlled substances, gambling of any kind, or anything unlawful for school-aged students.
The practical read
As of August 2026, a Montana college athlete can sign endorsement deals, hire an agent, and keep scholarship standing, as long as each contract is disclosed to the school and does not collide with team or institutional contracts. A Montana high schooler can reportedly earn from personal-brand deals too, but the deal must stay completely separate from the school: no uniforms, logos, film, school facilities, or school-connected payers. Violations can cost eligibility.
What's moving
The college statute was amended in 2025 (Ch. 380 and Ch. 407, Laws of 2025), part of a broader wave of states updating NIL laws after the House v. NCAA settlement was approved in June 2025. On the high-school side, the NIL bylaw adopted in January 2025 is new; reporting at the time noted follow-on approval steps, so treat the current handbook text as the controlling version.
Go deeper
Compare states, then run your numbers.
Compare Montana 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 Montana?
Yes — college athletes in Montana can earn from their name, image, and likeness. Status: Legal (state law). Montana 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 Montana?
High-school NIL status in Montana: Allowed, per State NIL law + MHSA (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 Montana?
The working disclosure threshold here is "Not specified." 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 a Montana high schooler appear in their team uniform in a paid ad?
No. The MHSA rule text bars NIL activities that include an image or likeness of the student in uniform or in other clothing or gear provided by the school or MHSA, and also bars use of game film and school facilities. The deal has to be built entirely around the athlete as a private person. Confirm current handbook language with your school's activities director before signing.
Can a Montana college block an NIL deal that conflicts with a team sponsor?
The statute is generally read to say an NIL contract may not conflict with the institution's existing contracts or team rules, so a conflicting deal can be a problem, but team rules cannot ban NIL earnings outside official team activities. Disclosure to the school is what surfaces these conflicts early. Run any deal past your compliance office before signing.
Can Montana booster clubs pay high school athletes for NIL?
No. The MHSA rule says compensation may not be provided by the member school, an agent of the school such as a booster club or foundation, or anyone affiliated with the school attempting to induce attendance. That is a deliberate anti-recruiting wall. Verify with the MHSA before accepting money from any school-adjacent group.