Michigan high school athletes can officially sign NIL deals after MHSAA approves new bylaws

High school athletes in Michigan can now sign NIL deals. The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) approved new bylaws on Friday, the association announced Tuesday.

Michigan was previously one of two states considering changes to its NIL guidelines, according to data from Opendorse. Wyoming is also considering allowing high school athletes to enter into deals. In Michigan, the MHSAA did not allow high school athletes to sign NIL deals under its personal brand activities policy. However, they could host camps or clinics.

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The MHSAA’s change to its policy is effective immediately, meaning NIL deals are officially allowed for those athletes. If an athlete enters into a partnership, they must disclose it seven days before acceptance, and the MHSAA must approve it.

“We have said from the start of this conversation that the MHSAA could be comfortable with a policy that provides individual branding opportunities for individual student-athletes, and this rule change provides those while excluding the possibility of collectives, and boosters and school people getting involved in those activities,” said MHSAA executive director Mark Uyl in a statement. “This is the essence of what NIL was supposed to allow in the first place, and we’re confident we’ve crafted language that allows true NIL opportunities without affecting competitive equity among our member schools.” 

Michigan’s state legislature paved the way for NIL at the high school level in 2023, and the MHSAA said discussions continued since. Under the new personal brand activities policy, athletes can participate in deals that include social media endorsements, autograph signings and NIL use in marketing deals.

In addition, the MHSAA said school are not allowed solicit, arrange or negotiate NIL deals on athletes’ behalf. Should that happen, the athlete could become ineligible and the school’s membership in the MHSAA could be in jeopardy.

“The MHSAA will guard the competitive equity we have promoted for more than 100 years, and take with the utmost seriousness any attempts to break or blur this rule,” Uyl said. “We have provided clear language and sufficient guidance on what is allowed to assist our schools as they navigate this ever-changing landscape.”

Michigan is the latest state to pave the way for high school NIL after Ohio approved a rule change in November 2025. Additionally, in June, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law to let those athletes cash in, but only if they are at least 17 years of age.