Compare the actual restrictions before saying yes to another sponsor. Use this worksheet to collect questions for the brand, your school and a qualified adviser—not to decide whether a contract is enforceable.
Find the overlap before you commit
Start with the words in both agreements
A local café asks for a video. An earlier agreement mentions exclusivity for “beverages.” Is a coffee-shop project covered? A category label alone cannot answer that question. Gather the current agreement, amendments and the new proposal. Highlight the actual restriction and note where the definition appears. Do not substitute a salesperson’s summary for the written terms.
Keep paid endorsements, affiliate activity, appearances, gifted-product obligations and content reuse on separate lines. Also list relevant team or school commitments for the appropriate reviewer. This worksheet organizes the conversation; it does not override any agreement or school rule.
Copy this comparison worksheet
| Question | Existing commitment | New request |
|---|---|---|
| Category and named competitors | Copy the wording and source section. | Describe the actual product or service. |
| Restricted activity | Posting, wearing, appearing, licensing or other activity? | What will you make or allow? |
| Dates and territory | Start, end, renewal and location terms. | Production, publication and reuse dates. |
| Channels and reuse | Your account, brand account, paid ads or other use? | Where may the material appear? |
| Existing exceptions | List any written carve-outs or approvals. | Identify what needs a written answer. |
| Decision owner | Who can interpret or amend the agreement? | Who will confirm the revised proposal? |
Write “unclear” when a term is undefined. Add the document name and page or clause reference so a reviewer can find it. Store the completed worksheet privately with your project records.
Worked example: coffee versus beverages
Fictional situation: An athlete has a beverage endorsement ending November 30. A café proposes a November video that features coffee and a pastry. The athlete records the category wording, the proposed filming date and whether the café wants to run the video as an advertisement. The athlete does not assume that changing the caption to focus on the pastry resolves the issue.
The useful next step is a specific question for the appropriate adviser and brand contact: does this exact project conflict, and if a change is needed, what written approval or amendment would cover it? Keep production on hold until the relevant questions are resolved.
A clarification is a record
Use a focused clarification message
“I have an existing commitment covering [exact wording] through [date]. The proposed project is [deliverables], on [channels], with [reuse requested]. Please clarify the overlap and the written steps needed before I accept or produce this project.”
This is a discussion prompt, not a contract clause. Ask a qualified adviser about interpretation, remedies or proposed changes. The FHSAA NIL resource center provides contract resources and encourages families to seek qualified legal and tax advice; its athletic rules apply to its own member-school context, not every athlete nationally.
Keep the decision separate from the deadline
A short sponsor deadline does not make an unclear restriction disappear. Offer a later decision date or a narrower proposed project for review. If the answers remain unresolved, avoid promising the deliverable. Record who owns each open question and when you will revisit it.
Once the scope is settled, transfer only the agreed work into the deliverables tracker. Preserve the comparison worksheet so that a future renewal, additional post or paid-ad request can be checked against the same record.