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Who can represent a California high school basketball player in NIL deals?

By McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM · Certified WNBA player agent · Former certified NBA agent

Published October 24, 2026. Last updated October 24, 2026.

This is Part 2 of a two-part series on California high school NIL. Part 1 covers how a family checks a NIL deal before signing: minors' contract rights, the 15 percent set-aside, school-affiliation limits and taxes. This part covers who is allowed to represent a player. For the CIF bylaws themselves, start with the California high school NIL rules guide.

Does California's athlete agent law cover high school players?

Yes. The definition of student athlete in Business and Professions Code 18895.2 covers a person enrolled at an elementary or secondary school, college or other educational institution who takes part in a sports program that competes against other schools, per FindLaw's copy of the section. A high school basketball player on a varsity or junior varsity roster fits that wording. The glossary defines an athlete agent and a NIL representative.

USC Athletics' copy of the Miller-Ayala Athlete Agents Act uses the same definition. The California athlete agent law guide covers registration, the $100,000 insurance requirement and trust accounts.

Who counts as an athlete agent for a high school player?

Someone who directly or indirectly recruits or solicits a student athlete into an agent, endorsement, financial services or professional sports services contract. The same section also covers a person who, for pay, seeks or negotiates a job for another person with a professional team, per FindLaw's copy of the section.

Because the list includes endorsement contracts, a business that solicits a high school player for brand deals can fall inside the definition. Whether a given NIL representative does depends on what the person actually does, so a family should ask a California attorney before relying on any exception.

The section carves out some people. Licensed professionals such as attorneys, financial planners and tax consultants are excluded while they provide services typical of their profession, unless they also recruit athletes or seek jobs for them. A talent agency licensed by the Labor Commissioner is excluded too, unless it recruits student athletes into covered contracts or seeks playing jobs for pay.

Three sections (18896.6, 18897.6 and 18897.63, on registration notice, gifts and contact) do not apply to a person acting as an athlete agent solely for a spouse, child, foster child, ward or grandchild. A parent negotiating a deal for their own child is in that group, but other sections may still apply to the parent.

What contact is allowed with a high school player or family?

Very little unless the family starts it. USC's copy of the act lists these limits, which are the general rule:

• An agent may not give a student athlete money or anything of value.
• An agent may not make or continue contact with the athlete, close family or household members, except by written materials copied to the school's chief administrator.
• If the athlete or a family member starts the contact, the agent may respond, then must notify the chief administrator in writing by the next business day.
• An agent may not give a school or its staff anything of value for referring athletes.

The current act has exceptions, such as payments a school's written policy authorizes and contact that the school itself starts, per section 18897.6 and section 18897.63, so a family should read the current text or ask a California attorney. These limits protect the player from pressure. They also mean that a text or DM from a stranger offering representation to a minor is a reason to slow down, save the message and tell the school.

What must a contract with a high school athlete say?

It must carry a bold warning near the signature line saying that signing will likely cost the athlete eligibility and explaining the notice and cancellation rules, per USC's summary of the act. The agent must notify the school's chief administrator in writing within 48 hours of signing. The student must give notice before practicing or competing, or within 72 hours of signing, whichever comes first.

The warning is aimed at college eligibility. The CIF decides high school eligibility under its own bylaws, so a family should also ask the athletic director whether the contract affects the player's standing at the school.

How do CIF rules reach people who advise families?

Bylaw 510 bars undue influence on a student's choice of school. The CIF advisory says it reaches anyone "associated" with a member school, as Bylaw 510.D(2) defines the term, per the CIF advisory. A representative who steers a player toward a school, or promises deals at one, creates that risk for the player.

The same Q&A on Bylaw 212.C adds that a member school, or anyone associated with it, may not offer or take part in individual endorsement opportunities for its athletes, per the advisory. The guide to hiring a Bay Area basketball trainer explains the same bylaws from the trainer's side.

The same bylaws bind every kind of member school. The Tri-County Athletic League, for example, lists public schools such as Richmond High and El Cerrito alongside private Salesian College Prep and St. Mary's College High, per the league's school list. A family at any of them should expect the same answer on school-arranged deals.

What changes when the player reaches college?

The NCAA announced on April 15, 2026 that its Division I Cabinet is letting prospects sign with professional sports agents before enrolling, effective for prospects enrolling in 2026-27, per the NCAA. The Cabinet also asked staff to develop options on agent behavior. Agents who work with college basketball players on draft decisions are certified under a separate program, covered in the NCAA agent certification guide.

Deals and representation signed in high school still follow the player. A Division I recruit must report third-party NIL deals of $600 or more, as the California NIL rules guide explains.

What should a family ask before hiring someone?

• Ask whether the person is registered as an athlete agent with the California Secretary of State, and look the name up.
• Ask for the contract in writing and check for the bold eligibility warning.
• Ask how the person will notify the school, and who pays them and when.
• Ask whether any deal names, pictures or points to a school.
• Keep every message and offer, including first contact.

Agents notice that families usually meet the person offering representation long before they see the contract, so the contract becomes the first time the terms are written down. Asking for it early changes that.