There’s a new era in amateur sports, where student-athletes as young as 14, could soon land lucrative endorsement deals. That’s true in at least 30 other states. And Florida could soon follow.
The Florida High School Athletics Association on Tuesday adopted a policy that would let high schoolers be paid for their name, image, and likeness or NIL.
“The FHSAA stands ready to help its student-athletes succeed in this new sports and business landscape," FHSAA Board President Monica Colucci said.
FHSAA approves NIL, pending State Board of Education ratification on July 24th, 2024! 🖊️📜
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) June 4, 2024
See below for details: pic.twitter.com/YObH7NT5wF
Colucci said the Sunshine State is behind when it comes to NILs. 30 other states including Georgia and Louisiana, already allow high schoolers to profit off their NILs. At Tuesday's FHSAA board meeting, directors agreed to let student-athletes find deals with their parents as long as they do so without the deal being attached to the school they attend.
That’s because of concerns explained by Allen Shirley, a school principal in Sumter County. He said at a board of directors workshop, schools may fall victim to false recruitment violation accusations and other issues.
“That actually would put liability on the school and/or the school district, for potentially a claim that they somehow meddled in the contract negation or pulled away what the student could have earned," said Shirley.
At the collegiate level, colleges, boosters and other related groups can help steer deals to players, but Kimberly Richey, the senior chancellor for the Florida Department of Education, said that could get out of hand at the high school level unless certain guardrails are put in place.
“I think we are OK with supporting the athletic program and directly engaging in NIL activities," she said. "We might be allowing them to engage in collectives, which we would not be OK with.”
A 2021 ruling by the NCAA and the Florida Legislature, granted college athletes the use of NIL deals. Tallahassee’s state Senator Corey Simon supported the law’s expansion during last year’s legislative session. The former collegiate and pro-football star said athletes are part of the “money-making system.”
“Now is the time for them [NCAA] to step up and see the athlete for what it is and what they’ve looked at which has been a money-making machine for the system,” said Simon.
Sports analysts say Florida’s decision to expand the original college NIL law by allowing coaches and departments to get involved directly, may have led other states to start allowing high schoolers to be paid—sparking the latest round of policy changes in high school sports.
Carolyn Dickens is a Tallahassee mother. Her children used to play high school sports. She has mixed emotions about NIL for high school athletes. She fears NIL deals could open the door to bad actors.
“I’ve seen how corruption is not necessarily a problem, but I’ve seen how it has affected the play in college sports,” said Dickens. “I don’t think it should happen as young as high school; I just don’t think it’s good.”
The proposed new policy does have a few rules intended to keep students safe. Students and parents are responsible for negotiating these NIL arrangements together. Students violating the NIL policies could risk their eligibility to continue playing sports
“The good thing is if they get hurt, they have money to sit back on,” High school student Keenan Rivers said. “I think they should get paid for their likeness.”
Last year, WFSU asked Chiles High School Athletics Director Mike Eto about high schoolers receiving NILs. He described it as the “wild wild west” for programs seeking highly-skilled talent. He believed the fight over big endorsement deals will lead to more players transferring.
“The opportunity for a student-athlete to earn some extra money for themselves and their family, is not a bad idea," said Eto. "I understand where they are coming from. NIL is basically based off your performance, so if you come to a school that they’re not very good at, now I can see people trying to transfer.”
Under Florida’s new rules, companies that advertise products like alcohol or drugs would not be able to offer high school students deals. Other restrictions include the banning of NIL collectives from school boosters, and using school property in any NIL deals without permission from a school district.
The proposal has been sent up to the state’s Department of Education for approval.