Indiana just gave Curt Cignetti something that’s been working in Ohio State for months. And that’s a structural recruiting advantage that mirrors what Ryan Day has been benefiting from. NIL has already reshaped college football. Now, the high school pipeline is catching up and Indiana just made sure it won’t be left behind.

Starting in the 2026-27 school year, high school athletes in Indiana can officially sign NIL deals. The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) approved the move on May 4, allowing what it calls “Personal Branding Activities.” This allows high school players to monetize themselves just not through their schools. But it’s a little different from how college NIL works. 

“Unlike the current college system, where schools often play a direct role in NIL compensation, the new rule keeps high schools out of arranging or funding deals for student-athletes,” Paul Neidig, IHSAA Commissioner said. “Instead, it allows students to benefit independently from their school, without using school branding or representing school-sponsored endorsements. It creates a clear distinction between the college model and the educational mission of high school athletics.”

But don’t confuse restrictions with irrelevance because this is a big deal. Indiana was dealing with a problem. They had top-tier talent looking across state lines and seeing opportunities they didn’t have at home. And that becomes a recruiting problem for Curt Cignetti’s football program and other sports too. But now it’s gone. See what Monshun Sales, a 5-star WR out of Lawrence North who’s considering both Indiana and Ohio State, has to say. 


“I think it should happen,” he said. “The only way it wouldn’t be fair is if we were the only state with it. But right now, we’re one of the only states without it so it’s kind of unfair, if anything. Kids like me have opportunities to go do things and we are kind of being held back because of the (rule). If it happens, it happens but I think it should.”

So yes, Indiana is following Ohio State’s lead here. But it’s also protecting its talent pipeline while upgrading its relevance in the national recruiting game. The bigger picture is that this is more than just high school players cashing in a few dollars as it’s about what comes next. If you’re a recruit building a personal brand early, anyone would choose a system that already lets you operate independently instead of one that doesn’t. That’s the Ryan Day advantage that Curt Cignetti has now. 

Ohio’s rule change, approved through the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), normalized NIL opportunities last November. Indiana just bought into that same philosophy. But before you start imagining the chaos this could bring, this one is more grounded and more sustainable. 

Will this Indiana rule change lead to a gold rush?

Now, if you look at what’s happening in Ohio, you understand what Indiana is really signing up for. First, this isn’t a gold rush. Out of roughly 400,000 high school athletes in Ohio, only a small fraction will land deals. And those deals are more of a side hustle than life-changing money. Sports-law attorney Robert Boland put most of them in the “hundreds or low thousands.”

For Ohio State, the benefit has already shown up in keeping elite talent in-state. Now Indiana gets the same advantage. Now, Curt Cignetti can walk into living rooms with one less disadvantage because his recruits won’t feel like they’re giving something up by staying local. The truth is talent goes where opportunity lives. And as of May 4, Indiana made sure that opportunity finally lives at home.

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