What Indiana Student-Athletes Are Allowed to Do Under Rule 5-7
August 5, 2026 · 9 min read
Educational & Illustrative Use Only. Not legal, tax, accounting, or other professional advice and does not create any professional relationship. Consult a locally licensed attorney and CPA before acting on any information here.
Most coverage of Indiana's Personal Branding Activity rule leads with the restrictions. That is understandable — the penalties are real — but it leaves athletes and families with a vague sense that the whole area is dangerous.
It isn't. Rule 5-7 opened a genuinely wide door. For most Indiana student-athletes the honest summary is: *if it has nothing to do with your school and isn't in one of the seven restricted categories, you can probably do it — and you still have to notify your athletic director within 48 hours.*
Here is the permitted side of the rule, with the conditions attached. This is a summary; the rule is two pages on the IHSAA's site and worth reading in full.
The three allowable categories
Rule 5-7.2 names three things students may do without jeopardising amateur status:
(a) Non-school, non-athletic PBA — permitted provided the student neither represents the member school nor performs athletic services.
(b) Personal brand development — monetising a personal brand through social media, personal appearances and endorsements unrelated to school athletic participation.
(c) Skills-based services — non-athletic services such as tutoring, personal training instruction or coaching youth sports, for reasonable compensation.
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Educational and Illustrative Use Only
All resources, articles, forms, checklists, examples, scenarios, and guidance are provided solely for general informational, educational, example, and illustrative purposes. They are not legal, tax, accounting, financial, compliance, or other professional advice; do not create an attorney-client, accountant-client, or other professional relationship; may not reflect the law, rules, or facts applicable to a particular person, school, transaction, or jurisdiction; and should not be relied upon without review by an appropriately licensed local attorney and certified public accountant familiar with the user’s specific circumstances. Users remain responsible for obtaining individualized professional advice and confirming current requirements with applicable schools, governing bodies, and authorities.