NIL law in Michigan — HB 5217 and the Big Ten framework

State: Michigan (MI)

Last reviewed 2026-05-18

[Reviewed by Darren Heitner or contracted NIL counsel — TBD]

Statute — in force

Michigan HB 5217 was signed into law in December 2020 but did not take effect until December 31, 2022 — one of the longest gaps between enactment and effective date of any state NIL statute. It governs NIL at Michigan, Michigan State, Western Michigan, and every other Michigan postsecondary institution.

Statute citation

Michigan Student-Athlete NIL Act

HB 5217 — Mich. Pub. Act 366 of 2020

Enacted 2020 — effective 2022-12-31

Allows Michigan postsecondary student-athletes to earn NIL compensation, requires 7-day pre-execution disclosure to the institution, and prohibits endorsements of categorically restricted products.

Read the statute on the official source

What the law actually says

Michigan HB 5217 was signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on December 30, 2020 as Public Act 366 of 2020. The statute did not take effect until December 31, 2022, which gave institutions a two-year runway to build compliance infrastructure. The framework requires athletes to disclose any proposed NIL opportunity or contract to their institution at least seven days prior to entering into it — a longer pre-execution window than most peer states. It also prohibits endorsements of alcohol, tobacco, gambling, weapons, pharmaceuticals, banned athletic substances, drugs or drug paraphernalia, or adult entertainment, and protects scholarship eligibility from being affected by NIL compensation. Michigan's seven-day pre-execution disclosure window is the most distinctive operational feature of the framework and the rule athletes most frequently miss. Other peer states use post-execution windows (72 hours is common); Michigan's pre-execution window means the school sees and can flag the contract before the athlete signs it, which materially changes the negotiation timeline.

Allowed NIL activities

Endorsement and sponsorship contracts with permitted categories.
Group licensing, autograph signings, camps, and clinics.
Hiring an agent or attorney for NIL representation.
Pre-signing review of the contract by professional representation during the 7-day pre-execution window.
NIL deals with institutional disclosure, subject to school review.

Restricted or prohibited NIL activities

Endorsements of alcohol, tobacco, gambling, weapons, pharmaceuticals, banned athletic substances, drugs or drug paraphernalia, or adult entertainment.
Use of school marks, logos, or uniforms without an institutional license.
Entering into an NIL contract without 7-day pre-execution disclosure to the institution.
Contracts that conflict with the institution's existing sponsorship roster.
NIL compensation conditioned on attendance at a particular school.

How individual schools layer their own policies

Michigan and Michigan State both maintain mature institutional NIL policies layered on top of HB 5217. The 7-day pre-execution disclosure window is the most distinctive operational feature of the Michigan framework — it is materially longer than the post-signing disclosure windows in peer states, and athletes who miss it can lose the deal.

University of Michigan

Michigan operates a designated NIL office and a disclosure platform. The school enforces the 7-day pre-execution window and reviews NIL agreements against athletic-department sponsorships and Big Ten institutional standards.

Michigan State University

MSU's NIL policy mirrors the Michigan framework: 7-day pre-execution disclosure, school-mark licensing, and conflict review against existing institutional sponsors. Use of MSU marks is licensed separately.

How RevU covers Michigan

RevU's analysis flags the Michigan-specific structural risks: contracts that have not been disclosed in the 7-day pre-execution window, exclusivity scopes that overlap with school sponsors, and prohibited categories (the Michigan list is longer than most peer states, including weapons and pharmaceuticals). The engine's output is structured so a Michigan compliance office can read it the same way the school's policy reads.

RevU is a software tool, not a law firm. The output is meant to make the conversation with your attorney more efficient — not to replace it. For binding legal advice on a Michigan NIL contract, engage a licensed attorney in your state.

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