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CIF paused rule changes while the Calhoun NIL lawsuit continues: what Bay Area families should know

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.

Families asking whether California's high school NIL and transfer rules are about to change get a short answer: the bylaws in force today still apply. This post covers a newer detail the library guides do not: the CIF's reported pause on policy changes. The rules themselves are in the California high school NIL rules guide and the California transfer rules guide.

What happened in the Calhoun case on August 20, 2026?

A federal magistrate judge dismissed the suit for a second time and allowed an amended complaint by September 10, per the Los Angeles Times story republished by The Union Democrat. The case began as a class action by former high school football player Dominik Calhoun against the CIF over its NIL and transfer rules, filed in June 2025 in the Northern District of California, per Front Office Sports. In January 2026 the court held the CIF immune from antitrust challenges to its amateurism and transfer rules, but not to its rule on school-affiliated NIL, per the January 2026 order.

The August order limited any amended complaint to a non-broadcast, school-affiliated NIL market, per the court order.

Did the CIF stop changing its rules while the suit is pending?

The Times reported that it did. According to the story, the CIF stopped considering possible changes to several policies, including transfers, while the lawsuit was pending, and it raised the question of whether transfer-reform discussions from April 2025 would resume. The story did not include a CIF statement on the dismissal.

That is one newspaper's report. A family should treat it as context and confirm any bylaw change with the CIF section office or the school's athletic director.

What is still unknown after September 10?

Whether an amended complaint was filed, whether the court has ruled again and whether the CIF has restarted its policy review. This post could not confirm any of those after the September 10 deadline, so check the court docket for No. 25-cv-04603-LB before relying on the case staying as it is. The Times also noted that an appeal is possible.

Which rules apply to Bay Area players today?

The current bylaws. CIF Bylaw 212.C allows endorsements with no school team or school affiliation, and Bylaw 510 bars inducements tied to enrollment, as explained in the NIL rules guide. Those rules bind public and private member schools alike, from Berkeley High and Bishop O'Dowd in the West Alameda County Conference to Salesian College Prep in the Tri-County Athletic League, per the conference and league member lists.

What should families do while the case plays out?

• Plan around the rules as written, not the rules a lawsuit might produce.
• Read the two-part series: how to check a NIL deal before signing and who can represent a high school player.
• Keep every contract and message, since a later rule change does not erase an earlier deal.
• Ask the athletic director in writing before a deal or a transfer.