College and high-school name, image & likeness rules for New Mexico (NM) — at a glance, in plain English. Not legal advice; confirm with a compliance office before acting.
At a glance
NIL in New Mexico today.
College NIL: Legal (state law). High-school NIL: Allowed, per State NIL law + NMAA (HS). NIL collectives: operating. Deal-disclosure threshold: Not specified. Governing statute: New Mexico SB 94 (2021), the Student Athlete Endorsement Act (NMSA 1978, § 21-1-4.13), active, effective July 2021. High-school governance: New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA). Last reviewed August 2026 — this is a plain-English overview pending verification, not legal advice.
What to know
How the rules play out in New Mexico.
New Mexico has an NIL framework permitting college athletes to earn from their name, image, and likeness. The NMAA has moved to permit high-school NIL within its eligibility rules. Collectives exist around the state's Division-I programs; rely on each school's compliance office for disclosure rules.
Who governs NIL in New Mexico
College NIL is governed by the Student Athlete Endorsement Act (SB 94, 2021), compiled at NMSA 1978, Section 21-1-4.13 and applying to contracts entered into on and after July 1, 2021. High school NIL is governed by the NMAA, whose board updated the amateurism bylaws (Section 6.18.3 of the eligibility bylaws) at its June 1, 2023 meeting to spell out how students can use their name, image and likeness without losing amateur status.
What the Student Athlete Endorsement Act actually says
The Act is protection-focused: it limits what schools can do, rather than regulating athletes.
Section 3.A(1): a post-secondary institution shall not uphold any rule that penalizes an athlete for receiving food, shelter, medical expenses or insurance from a third party, or for earning third-party compensation from name, image, likeness or athletic reputation.
Section 3.A(2): schools may not prohibit or discourage an athlete from wearing footwear of the athlete's choice during official, mandatory team activities (so long as it has no lights or reflective fabric and poses no health risk) - the footwear clause.
Section 3.A(3)-(4): schools may not block third-party NIL compensation earned outside official, mandatory team activities, may not arrange third-party deals themselves, and may not use deals as recruiting inducements.
Section 3.B: NIL earnings shall not affect grant-in-aid or stipend eligibility, amount, duration or renewal.
Section 3.C: a third party cannot require in-person advertising during official, mandatory team activities without the institution's approval.
Section 4: athletes may retain independent representation, and an entity that has represented the athlete's institution in the previous four years shall not represent that institution's athletes.
High-school rules
The NMAA's June 2023 amateurism update (approved 14-0 by the NMAA Commission per the board packet) rewrote bylaw 6.18.3, Loss of Amateur Status:
6.18.3(A)-(B): an amateur forfeits status by competing for money or receiving an award or prize of monetary value.
6.18.3(C): status is forfeited by capitalizing on athletic fame by receiving money or gifts of monetary value in affiliation or connection with activities involving the student's school team or school.
6.18.3(C)(1): the provision is not intended to restrict commercial endorsements provided there is no school team, school, or NMAA affiliation.
6.18.3(C)(2): the student may not appear in the school's uniform and may not use marks or logos of the school or NMAA in any endorsement.
The bylaw note extends the same rules to esports participants.
The practical read
As of August 2026, a New Mexico college athlete can take third-party NIL money, keep their scholarship, hire an agent, and even wear their own endorsed footwear at practice - one of the more athlete-friendly wrinkles in any state law. The main limit is that in-person sponsor advertising during official team activities needs school approval. A New Mexico high schooler can reportedly do endorsement work as a private individual, but the deal cannot trade on their school team: no school affiliation, uniform, or school/NMAA marks.
What's moving
The 2021 Act predates the House v. NCAA settlement (approved June 2025), under which schools nationally may share revenue with athletes; the Act's ban on schools arranging third-party deals reads differently in that world, and commentary reports newer state activity around NIL education funding. Treat any specific dollar programs or 2025-26 legislative changes as reported rather than settled until confirmed against the current NMSA text.
Go deeper
Compare states, then run your numbers.
Compare New Mexico 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 New Mexico?
Yes — college athletes in New Mexico can earn from their name, image, and likeness. Status: Legal (state law). New Mexico 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 New Mexico?
High-school NIL status in New Mexico: Allowed, per State NIL law + NMAA (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 New Mexico?
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.
What is New Mexico's footwear clause?
SB 94 says a school may not prohibit or discourage an athlete from wearing footwear of their choice during official, mandatory team activities, provided it has no reflective fabric or lights and poses no health risk. That means a personal shoe deal can survive team apparel contracts in a way most states do not allow. Check how your school reconciles this with its own sponsor agreements before signing a shoe deal.
Can my agent also work for my university?
No. Section 4 of the Act bars an entity or individual that represents your institution, or represented it in the previous four years, from representing you in any business agreement. The point is to keep your representation free of school-side conflicts. Have any agency agreement reviewed independently before you sign.
Do NMAA esports players fall under the same NIL rules?
Yes. The NMAA's 6.18.3 bylaw note says the amateur-status provision is also applicable to participants in the activity of esports, so the same no-school-affiliation endorsement rules apply. Confirm current bylaw text with the NMAA before an esports deal.