College and high-school name, image & likeness rules for Virginia (VA) — at a glance, in plain English. Not legal advice; confirm with a compliance office before acting.
At a glance
NIL in Virginia today.
College NIL: Legal (state law). High-school NIL: Allowed, per State NIL law + VHSL (HS). NIL collectives: operating. Deal-disclosure threshold: $600. Governing statute: Virginia student-athlete NIL law (2022), as amended incl. HB 1505 (2024) (Va. Code § 23.1-408.1), amended, effective July 2022. High-school governance: Virginia High School League (VHSL). Last reviewed August 2026 — this is a plain-English overview pending verification, not legal advice.
What to know
How the rules play out in Virginia.
Virginia enacted an NIL law and has amended it to allow schools a larger role in facilitating deals. The VHSL has moved to permit high-school NIL within its amateurism and recruiting rules. Collectives are active around the state's ACC programs; verify each school's disclosure threshold.
Who governs NIL in Virginia
Virginia's college NIL rules live in Va. Code § 23.1-408.1, first effective in 2022 and amended in 2023 and again in 2024, when HB 1505 added aggressive protections against NCAA enforcement. The Virginia High School League (VHSL) governs high-school NIL through its own policy, and the NCAA and College Sports Commission overlay applies to college deals as of August 2026.
What § 23.1-408.1 actually says
Key provisions from the code as published on Virginia's Legislative Information System:
An institution may not prohibit or prevent a student-athlete from earning compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness, or from obtaining professional representation.
An institution may not declare a student-athlete ineligible for intercollegiate athletic competition because he earns NIL compensation, and may not reduce or cancel a scholarship over NIL activity.
Prohibited endorsement categories include alcohol, adult entertainment, cannabis, controlled substances, performance-enhancing drugs, tobacco, weapons, and gambling or sports betting.
Institutions may require disclosure of NIL agreements before execution, may bar NIL activity during academic and team activities, and may support outside entities that create NIL opportunities, but student fees may not be used to compensate athletes.
An athletic association may not penalize an institution or a student-athlete, or prevent participation in intercollegiate athletics, over NIL activity the statute permits; institutions may seek damages and attorney fees for adverse action, language added by the 2024 amendments.
High-school rules (VHSL)
The VHSL approved an NIL policy on May 3, 2023, effective July 1, 2023 per contemporaneous legal reporting, and the league now publishes NIL education and contract-notification resources for students and parents:
Permitted: commercials, product endorsements, personal appearances, autograph sessions, merchandise sales, group licensing, and social media influencer work.
Prohibited: compensation involving intellectual property of the VHSL or any member school, including names, uniforms, mascots, and logos, so no school uniform in paid content.
Schools, coaches, and booster clubs may not use NIL to incentivize a student to enroll at a school or join a team, and athletes may not promote third-party NIL partners during school-based team activities.
Restricted categories mirror the college list: adult entertainment, alcohol, tobacco, prescription pharmaceuticals, casinos and gambling including sports betting, and weapons.
The practical read
A Virginia college athlete can monetize NIL with statutory protection from both school and NCAA retaliation, subject to category bans and their school's disclosure process; deals of 600 dollars or more also go through the NIL Go clearinghouse under the House settlement. A Virginia high schooler can sign deals too, as long as the work stays fully separate from school identity and was not used as a recruiting carrot.
What's moving
The 2024 HB 1505 amendments, effective July 1, 2024, made Virginia one of the most protective states against athletic-association enforcement, and were reported at the time as permitting institution-supported NIL compensation so long as student fees are not used. Since the House settlement took effect in mid-2025, schools can pay athletes directly under the capped revenue-sharing system, and the interaction between Virginia's anti-enforcement language and College Sports Commission review remains an open question as of August 2026.
Go deeper
Compare states, then run your numbers.
Compare Virginia 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 Virginia?
Yes — college athletes in Virginia can earn from their name, image, and likeness. Status: Legal (state law). Virginia 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 Virginia?
High-school NIL status in Virginia: Allowed, per State NIL law + VHSL (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 Virginia?
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 the NCAA punish a Virginia school or athlete over a permitted NIL deal?
Virginia's statute says an athletic association may not penalize an institution or student-athlete, or block them from competition, over NIL activity the law permits, and it gives institutions a damages remedy for adverse action. The House settlement's review structures still apply in practice to deals of 600 dollars or more. Confirm how your school is applying both regimes with its compliance office.
What happens if a Virginia athlete's NIL deal conflicts with a school contract?
The statute lets institutions require disclosure of proposed NIL agreements before signing, and if a proposed deal conflicts with an existing institutional agreement, the institution discloses the relevant conflicting terms to the athlete so the deal can be reworked. Ask your athletic department how it runs that disclosure process before you sign.
Can a Virginia high schooler wear their school uniform or logo in sponsored content?
No. The VHSL policy bars compensation involving VHSL or member-school intellectual property, which the league and legal commentators read to include school names, uniforms, mascots, and logos. Verify specifics with your school's activities director and the current VHSL handbook before filming anything.