How NIL-Ready Is Your Family? | NIL for Texas Parents

Before You Begin

Name, Image, and Likeness has changed the landscape of college athletics faster than most families expected. Parents are fielding questions they were never trained to answer — about contracts, compensation, eligibility, and recruiting conversations that didn't used to include money.

This quick assessment is designed to help you gauge where your family stands: what you already understand well, and where a little more clarity could reduce pressure and protect your athlete.

There are no trick questions. Each answer comes with a brief explanation drawn from NIL for Texas Parents and A Parent's Guide to NIL & Revenue Sharing — both written specifically to give families steady footing in this new environment.

Questions

Minutes

Topic Areas

"Understanding creates calm. Calm creates better decisions. And better decisions, over time, create opportunity." — Tom Burnett, NIL for Texas Parents

Question 1 of 10 Definitions

Which of the following best describes what NIL actually allows a student-athlete to do?

Receive a salary from their college or university for playing their sport

Earn compensation for commercial use of their name, image, or likeness — such as endorsements, appearances, and sponsored content

Accept money in exchange for choosing a specific school to attend

Receive payment based on athletic statistics or performance outcomes

✓ Correct! NIL allows athletes to earn compensation tied to their personal identity in the marketplace — endorsements, appearances, sponsored posts, camps, and autograph signings. It is not pay-for-play, not a salary, and cannot legally function as a recruiting inducement.

Question 2 of 10 Texas Rules

In Texas, high school athletics are governed by the UIL. When it comes to NIL, the UIL's primary concern is:

Helping athletes maximize their earning potential before college

Aligning Texas rules with what other states allow high school athletes

Preserving competitive balance, educational focus, and amateur eligibility standards

Preventing any form of NIL activity until an athlete enrolls in college

✓ Correct! The UIL exists to preserve competitive balance, educational focus, and eligibility standards across Texas. Its guardrails are designed to protect amateur eligibility, prevent recruiting advantages within high school competition, and keep athletics connected to education.

Question 3 of 10 Eligibility

A Texas high school athlete turns 18 in October of their senior year. Which statement is TRUE regarding their NIL activity?

Turning 18 automatically expands their NIL rights to match college-level freedoms

Contractual capacity may expand at 18, but UIL eligibility rules still apply throughout high school participation

They can now receive compensation tied to athletic performance, since they are legally an adult

They must wait until January 1 of their senior year to begin any NIL activity

✓ Correct! This is one of the most common points of confusion for Texas families. While an 18-year-old has greater contractual capacity, this does not override UIL eligibility standards. Graduation — not age — is the key threshold. Eligibility rules remain in force through high school participation.

Question 4 of 10 Revenue Sharing

Revenue sharing in college athletics is different from NIL. The most important distinction is:

Revenue sharing is only available to athletes who are already earning NIL income

Revenue sharing comes from third-party endorsement deals, while NIL comes from the institution

Revenue sharing comes from the institution itself, while NIL comes from third parties

Revenue sharing is guaranteed for all scholarship athletes; NIL must be earned

✓ Correct! NIL compensation comes from third parties — brands, businesses, individuals. Revenue sharing comes from the institution directly. Revenue sharing is not guaranteed, not equal across sports, and not permanent. It may change year to year and may never apply to some athletes at all.

Question 5 of 10 Recruiting

During the recruiting process, a school representative mentions that "opportunities will open up once a commitment is made." As a parent, you should:

Accept this as standard recruiting language and proceed with the commitment

Slow the conversation down — compensation implied as contingent on enrollment crosses into impermissible territory

Ask for a written contract outlining the specific compensation terms before committing

Report the comment immediately to the NCAA compliance office

✓ Correct! If compensation is discussed as contingent on choosing a school, that's a signal to slow the conversation down — not accelerate it. NIL cannot legally function as a recruiting inducement. Implied connections between enrollment and payment create exposure for everyone involved, including your athlete.

Question 6 of 10 Common Mistakes

Which of these is the MOST common way NIL-related problems begin for high school families?

Families knowingly violate UIL rules to gain a competitive advantage

Athletes post too frequently on social media before gaining college eligibility

Vague language and blurred conversations — not bad intentions, but blurred understanding

Parents hire NIL agents before their child's senior year

✓ Correct! Problems rarely start with signed contracts. They begin with vague language: "This could turn into something later." "We'll structure it once things settle." "It's just exposure for now." If an arrangement can't be explained clearly — what service is being provided, how compensation is determined — that ambiguity deserves serious attention.

Question 7 of 10 Parent's Role

In the NIL era, the most valuable thing a parent can do for their student-athlete is:

Build their athlete's social media presence early to maximize brand value

Research and contact NIL agencies before their junior year

Provide calm, informed perspective — understanding the landscape well enough to slow things down when needed

Ensure their athlete stays completely away from NIL conversations until after college enrollment

✓ Correct! Parents are not managers or agents — they are steady voices of perspective during a time of change. The most effective parents understand the landscape well enough to stay grounded, ask good questions, and help their child make decisions that still make sense if circumstances shift. That's not pressure. That's support.

Question 8 of 10 Social Media

A parent hears that "every college-bound athlete needs a personal brand and large social following before senior year." This advice is:

Accurate — social following is now a primary recruiting evaluation metric

Partially accurate — athletes in revenue sports need a following, others do not

Largely a myth — most athletes benefit more from development and academic preparation than from early brand-building

Accurate only for athletes who have already received D1 scholarship offers

✓ Correct! The myth that early brand-building equals opportunity is one of the most common sources of unnecessary pressure on families. NIL income is modest and situational for the vast majority of athletes. Social media presence built before skill development or academic readiness rarely converts to meaningful opportunity — and the pressure to "get ahead" can distract from what actually drives long-term outcomes.

Question 9 of 10 Financial Literacy

If a college student-athlete begins earning NIL income, which of the following is TRUE?

NIL income is tax-exempt because the athlete is still a student

NIL income is taxable, and athletes may need to file quarterly estimated taxes and work with a tax professional

Tax liability is the responsibility of the brand or company paying the athlete, not the athlete

Taxes only apply if NIL income exceeds $20,000 in a calendar year

✓ Correct! NIL income is ordinary taxable income. Student-athlete status provides no tax exemption. Depending on income levels and timing, athletes may need to pay quarterly estimated taxes, work with a tax professional, and track expenses carefully. This is one of the financial literacy areas families are least prepared for — and one of the most important.

Question 10 of 10 Big Picture

Despite all the changes NIL has brought to college athletics, which of the following has NOT fundamentally changed?

The ability of athletes to earn money connected to their identity

The financial relationship between schools and the athletes they recruit

The transfer portal and athlete mobility between programs

The fundamentals of what drives long-term success: skill development, academic readiness, emotional maturity, and fit

✓ Correct! NIL has changed the landscape of college athletics significantly. But what it has not changed are the fundamentals: skill development, academic preparation, emotional maturity, and finding the right fit within a program. Money may now be part of the picture — but it shouldn't be the frame. The families who navigate NIL best are the ones who keep these foundations at the center.

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Ready to Go Deeper?

Both books are available now on Amazon — written specifically to give families the calm, structured guidance they deserve as they navigate NIL and college athletics.

NIL for Texas Parents → A Parent's Guide to NIL & Revenue Sharing

"Clarity reduces pressure. When parents understand what applies, what doesn't, and what can wait — the emotional temperature drops. Decisions become steadier." — Tom Burnett · NILforTexasParents.com