Frequently Asked Questions
For Everyone
What is an NIL Club?
An NIL Club is a unique, student-run fan community designed to financially benefit its member students by delivering paywalled digital content to their biggest fans. By subscribing to the club for a monthly fee, fans get exclusive access to content during their membership, while also supporting the participating students as creators. NIL Clubs are available to all high school students, including those involved in various social groups or activities like band, theater, and the math team.
How are students involved with their NIL Club?
The students themselves are integral to the NIL Club. They work collaboratively to promote the club, generating and sharing content for its subscribers. Proceeds from the club are shared equally among the participating students each month. NIL Clubs are independent and not affiliated with any particular schools.
What is YOKE?
YOKE builds the innovative software that facilitates the NIL Club ecosystem. It enables high school and college students to earn additional income through fan subscriptions. There are currently more than 200,000 students benefiting from their group's NIL Club.
FOR STUDENTS/ADMINS/COACHES
How are NIL Clubs compliant at the high school level?
NIL Clubs ensure full compliance with high school regulations by following these key principles:
- State-Specific Compliance: Each state's bylaws and rules are reviewed with legal experts before allowing any students to sign up for an NIL Club in that state.
- Content-Driven Compensation: Students do not receive any compensation until they post content for their subscribers to see. This ensures that compensation is tied to content creation rather than athletic performance.
- Non-Athletic Compensation: NIL Clubs do not compensate individuals for athletic achievements or participation. Compensation is based on:
- Use of name and image on club materials.
- Rendering promotional services.
- Licensing, contributing, and publishing content.
- No Enrollment Incentives: NIL Clubs do not provide incentives for school enrollment or for remaining enrolled.
- Compliance and Disclosure: The NIL Club app includes all necessary information for compliance and disclosure to ensure transparency.
- Subscriber-Based Compensation: Compensation comes from paying subscribers, not from schools or agents, ensuring a clear separation from school resources.
- Respect for School Branding: NIL Clubs do not use or capitalize on school "marks" or names commercially, maintaining respect for school branding and trademarks.
- Content-Based Subscriptions: NIL Clubs are content-based subscriptions with no association with products that are illegal for those under 18, such as gambling, alcohol, tobacco, or firearms.
- Not Collectives: NIL Clubs are not a collective, as these communities are run by students, not by adults or boosters. Friends, fans, and other supporters can access the community’s paywalled updates and posts by paying a nominal subscription fee.
- Built for Compliance: NIL Clubs are inherently compliant, with built-in guardrails customized to each state to ensure no one runs into eligibility issues. Our team actively works with state organizations to ensure compliance and transparency.
- Monitoring System: Our software includes a monitoring system that flags and removes school IP, uniforms, and marks when students attempt to use them. This helps educate students about NIL and ensures they remain compliant.
What is the sign-up process for students?
Students can sign up at nilclub.com/app and then complete their registration through the NIL Club app. Upon joining, students must agree to our platform's terms of use. Students aged 13-17 need parent or guardian consent before creating an account. After setting up the app, they are all set to participate.
Can high schoolers join an NIL Club?
Yes! High school students can now join NIL Clubs. If you are a high school student, you can download the app to see if your state is available. If it is not, you can add yourself to the waitlist by contacting support. Each state's bylaws and rules are reviewed with legal experts before enabling any students to sign up for an NIL Club in that state.
How do payouts to students work?
Payments are seamlessly disbursed automatically upon a fan's subscription payment. Each participating student who contributes to the page receives an equal share of the proceeds. Student earnings can be withdrawn from the NIL Club App via PayPal or Venmo. Students under 18 years of age must get help from an adult to withdraw their earnings. Students must contribute through all three compliant activities before being able to withdraw their earnings.
Who is in charge of managing the participating students for the NIL Club?
The participating students of the NIL Club are self-governed by the students themselves. High schools and their staff, including coaches and administrators, are not involved in auditing or managing NIL Club participating students, as most states prevent coaches or school administrators from engaging in NIL activities.
Will students receive brand deals through this platform?
This platform is designed to facilitate fan subscriptions exclusively. It doesn't facilitate brand deals. However, it provides a powerful way to earn income from fans in exchange for exclusive content.
FOR SUPPORTERS
Why should I join an NIL Club?
By joining an NIL Club, you can support your favorite students and receive exclusive online content that's not available anywhere else. Your membership truly makes a difference and gives you a unique connection to the group of participating students.
Is there any option to make one-time payments?
Yes, one-time payments can be made by subscribing for a monthly membership and then promptly canceling it. This effectively makes a one-time payment. Subscriptions can be canceled by visiting nilclub.com/profile and clicking on Manage Subscriptions, followed by selecting the desired team and clicking Cancel Subscription.
Do the coaches or school admins know about this?
This initiative is driven by the students, for the students. While most states prevent coaches or school administrators from engaging in NIL activities, our platform was created by students keen on offering a unique experience to their biggest fans, and giving those fans an opportunity to provide support. If anyone has questions about NIL Clubs, encourage them to check out this page or visit our Help Center.
SUPPORTING STUDENTS
Parental Involvement
Parents and guardians can support their teen’s NIL Club experience by staying informed and discussing the importance of managing their online presence, staying committed, and putting forth their best effort. Parents and guardians are also responsible for assisting any user under 18 with withdrawals from the platform.
Educational Impact
By participating in NIL Clubs, students not only learn business experience but also gain valuable financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills.
Questions? We're Here to Help
For more detailed information and frequently asked questions, please visit our Help Center or contact us at nilclub.com/contact-us. Together, we can ensure that high school students benefit from these opportunities while staying compliant with all relevant regulations.