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Oregon NIL Rules

College and high-school name, image & likeness rules for Oregon (OR) — at a glance, in plain English. Not legal advice; confirm with a compliance office before acting.

At a glance

NIL in Oregon today.

College NIL: Legal (state law). High-school NIL: Allowed, per Oregon SB 5 (2021), amended by SB 1505 (2022), HB 4119 (2024) & HB 3694 (2025) + OSAA Rule 8.4 (HS). NIL collectives: operating. Deal-disclosure threshold: $600. Governing statute: Oregon SB 5 (2021), as amended by SB 1505 (2022), HB 4119 (2024) and HB 3694 (2025) (Or. Rev. Stat. § 702.200), amended, effective June 2021. High-school governance: Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA). Last reviewed September 2026 — this is a plain-English overview pending verification, not legal advice.

What to know

How the rules play out in Oregon.

Oregon's NIL statute chain (SB 5 2021 → SB 1505 2022 → HB 4119 2024 → HB 3694 2025) is unchanged as of September 2026, but HB 3694's confidentiality provision still sits in real, unresolved tension with the House v. NCAA settlement's national NIL Go clearinghouse, which still requires third-party deals over $600 to be reported for fair-market-value review — we found no sign courts, the legislature, or the NCAA have reconciled the two, so the $600 figure's enforceability against Oregon athletes remains contested rather than settled. OSAA Rule 8.4 (adopted 2022) still allows high-school NIL but bars school-affiliated boosters/collectives, use of school marks or facilities, and performance-linked pay, and requires disclosure to the school; we could not confirm from the current OSAA handbook directly whether the rule's exact wording changed for the 2026-27 school year, so confirm current specifics with OSAA directly. Collectives remain active and legal at the college level; a federal bill, the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, is moving through Congress (with Oregon's own Sen. Merkley reportedly opposing part of it) and could eventually preempt state NIL rules like Oregon's, but it had not passed as of September 2026.

Who governs NIL in Oregon

College NIL sits in ORS chapter 702 (athlete agents), principally ORS 702.200, enacted by SB 5 in 2021 with applicability from June 29, 2021, and amended repeatedly since - most recently by 2024 c.15 and 2025 c.448. High school NIL is governed by the OSAA, which amended Rule 8.4 (Awards - Name, Image, Likeness) at its October 2022 Delegate Assembly to permit NIL with guardrails.

What ORS 702.200 actually says

The statute frames NIL as an economic right of the athlete, and after the 2024-2025 amendments it also covers schools paying athletes directly.

  • ORS 702.200(2): a post-secondary institution of education may compensate a student athlete or prospective student athlete for use of the athlete's name, image, likeness or athletic reputation.
  • ORS 702.200(3)(a): institutions and athletic associations, conferences or organizations may not prohibit, prevent or restrict a student athlete from exercising economic rights, or penalize or retaliate against the athlete for exercising them.
  • ORS 702.200(4)(b): athletes disclose NIL contracts for the sole purpose of demonstrating compliance with team rules.
  • ORS 702.200(6)(a): compensation for NIL or athletic reputation may not be conditioned on the athlete's athletic performance.
  • Amendment trail: enacted 2021 (SB 5); amended 2022 (SB 1505), 2024 c.15 (HB 4119) and 2025 c.448 (HB 3694).

High-school rules

OSAA's October 2022 change to Rule 8.4 lets a student earn compensation from their name, image and likeness, with reported parameters:

  • No performance-based pay: athletes cannot be compensated for specific accomplishments or achievements in competition.
  • No school branding: NIL activities may not use school logos, insignia, facilities or equipment.
  • No inducements and no deals with OSAA member schools or their agents, and agreements are disclosed to the school (as summarized when the rule was adopted).
  • Restricted categories: no promoting alcohol, cannabis, or political parties and candidates, among other products reported as off-limits (tobacco, vaping, gambling, adult entertainment, weapons).

The practical read

As of August 2026, an Oregon college athlete can be paid by third parties and, under the amended statute, by the school itself - one of the states that aligned early with the direct-pay era formalized by the House v. NCAA settlement (approved June 2025). Deals cannot be conditioned on performance, and disclosure runs through team-rule compliance. An Oregon high schooler can do NIL deals as a private person; the OSAA's published guidance page for families collects the current rules, and the school-separation and product restrictions are where eligibility risk lives.

What's moving

ORS 702.200 was amended in 2024 (c.15) and again in 2025 (c.448, HB 3694), reflecting the shift toward institutional payments and post-House cleanup; the current ORS text is the controlling version. OSAA guidance links to NCAA interim-policy materials and NIL education resources, and the association has updated its materials since 2022, so check the OSAA site for the latest handbook language.

Go deeper

Compare states, then run your numbers.

Compare Oregon 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 Oregon?
Yes — college athletes in Oregon can earn from their name, image, and likeness. Status: Legal (state law). Oregon 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 Oregon?
High-school NIL status in Oregon: Allowed, per Oregon SB 5 (2021), amended by SB 1505 (2022), HB 4119 (2024) & HB 3694 (2025) + OSAA Rule 8.4 (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 Oregon?
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 Oregon schools now pay athletes directly for NIL?
Yes, the amended ORS 702.200(2) says a post-secondary institution may compensate a student athlete or prospective student athlete for use of their name, image, likeness or athletic reputation, subject to the statute's other limits such as the ban on performance-conditioned pay. This is layered on top of the national House-settlement revenue-sharing framework. Confirm current mechanics with your school's compliance office.
Can an Oregon high schooler be paid a bonus for scoring touchdowns?
No. Under the OSAA's Rule 8.4 parameters as adopted in October 2022, compensation cannot be tied to athletic performance or specific accomplishments, and deals cannot serve as inducements to attend a school. Deals must also stay clear of school logos, insignia, facilities and equipment. Check the current OSAA handbook language before agreeing to any incentive structure.
Why does Oregon's NIL law require contract disclosure?
ORS 702.200(4)(b) frames disclosure narrowly: athletes disclose NIL contracts for the sole purpose of demonstrating compliance with team rules, not for school approval of deal terms. That is a lighter-touch regime than many states. Ask your athletic department how it administers disclosure before signing.

Sources

  1. Or. Rev. Stat. ch. 702 (ORS 702.200, student athlete economic rights) — Oregon Legislature
  2. OSAA Parents and Students - Name, Image and Likeness resources — Oregon School Activities Association
  3. High schoolers in Oregon may now benefit from name, image, likeness deals — KLCC (NPR affiliate)