Lesson 2 of 6
The Texas truth
This is the most important page in this whole course, so read it twice.
The Myth
High school athletes in Texas can sign NIL deals.
The Truth
No. Under UIL rules, Texas high school athletes cannot do NIL deals. If your kid plays UIL sports and signs an NIL deal, they can lose their high school eligibility.
A lot of states do let high schoolers do NIL. Texas, as of now, is not one of them — and it’s not even the UIL’s call to change it. It’s up to the state legislature. Until lawmakers act, the answer for a Texas high schooler is simply: not yet.
Why kids get this wrong
They see high schoolers in OTHER states with NIL deals, and athletes in COLLEGE with big NIL money, and assume it applies to them. It does not. Different states, different rules, different level.
Coach Fite
I’ve watched a kid almost torch his high school eligibility chasing a few hundred dollars somebody dangled in front of him. In Texas, that “deal” can cost him his whole senior season. Protect the thing that’s actually worth money: your eligibility and your film.