HIGH SCHOOL NIL!?!?!?

I didn't realize that many states had already approved it to begin with! I think at this point, seeing how the money always wins, it's not gonna be worth resisting or fighting. It's gonna happen, and we/I can either learn to live with it or be left in the dust. I'd rather learn and adapt to stay on top of the game.

I'm just kind of meh about it.  

The interwebs have created a whole next level of all kind of opportunities (good&bad).  With all the different platforms and EVERYONE (including us crusty old/get off my lawn coaches) on a device all the time = all those opportunities.  

My oldest  is getting ready to graduate with a degree in musical theater (yeah I've already told her she'll have to tote that boat anchor), and has a 99th percentile singing voice.  I've tried for years to get her to YouTube/Instagram/Twitter/etc... her talent  and try and monetized it..... but she is 22 going 72 when it comes to social media and refuses.

20 YO boy #1 is an old soul, and by old soul I mean he is living in the 18th century; us peasants can use it.....

Boy #2 is a 13 YO whizz bang when it comes to programing/coding/gaming and has a knack for being that raw/snarky off the cuff personality that is so prevalent on YouTube/etc....  Yet he would rather try to pry open my wallet so he can buy/get/subscribe/etc... to someone else's content.  

My 29 YO wife (currently celebrating the 26th anniversary of said birthday) is the most lucrative of the family with social media on her side hustle.  And no it's not Only Fans..... it's Instagram and cupcakes.

It ain't going away.  It will touch any program of significance.  I guess the next avenue is how can some public school program figure out a way to use it to its benefit considering all the tax payer/watch dog/etc... focus on them.  The privates will probably do it first.

Not on the scale, but there will be some big ones scattered around.  Boy #2 was into Fortnight right about the time a 13 YO won $1.3 million in a tourney.  

VERY small private college in a town near where I grew up (1100-1200 students including the Presbyterian doctoral ministers) was one of the first to offer gaming scholarships to students to try and boost enrollment, and also resurrected their long dormant football program (dropped after WW2) at the same time.

This will become a thing.

Probably need to start a thread on how to utilize the NIL in public school athletics

According to the rule our state (the same one as OP) just approved, NIL can happen but the school can’t be involved in any way and the kid can’t use the school logo or uniform in his stuff. At least, that’s the explanation I read.

I actually like the idea that this will allow enterprising young self promoters to sell merchandise and get money for appearances or working football camps… but I see how this will basically escalate the under-the-table HS recruiting game to absurd levels in some places. In the end, I see it really just making a few of the “rich” powerhouses even richer.

You’re going to see some parents and HS boosters using it as a way to stack teams around their kid. Little Johnny looks a lot better as your starter when he’s got stud teammates who make his life easier.

It doesn’t even necessarily have to be a huge amount of money… a lot of great athletes are dirt poor and have families who struggle to make rent or put food in the table. I hope those families at least benefit, but any “big” NIL money a HS kid gets is going to have strings attached.

Somewhat related: I coached a kid 5 or 6 years ago that got "internet famous" early on in Twitter. Like he had a spot on a national day time talk show to discuss it with the host.

This was a good kid with great grades and good parents, and that level of sudden "fame" and obligations was really hard for the kid to manage.

PA just ratified their NIL.

If it’s a 5 star recruit, absolutely. These companies want to get in early. That is literally why IMG academy was founded and why show companies are so involved in AAU.

For most… I think it’ll be more “summer job/side hustle” type money… but a couple hundred bucks is “significant” to a lot of kids.

This is all on the kids and their families to find ways to cash in. I suspect we’ll see an even bigger rise of “handlers” who get in with these kids im HS in hopes of representing them as pros later. They’ll pimp hooking kids up with NIL the same way they promote scholarships.

If you get a guy like that who has just a few stud HS athletes he controls as a package deal who are financially dependent on NIL, he’s going to have a lot of pull in many places

I think this totally disrupts what team sports are all about, however money talks B.S. walks, so my opinion is irrelevant.

cwaltsmith, do you foresee any recruiting violations coming from this? We're in the same state, and my biggest concern is there is already a massive void between the "have's" and the "have-not's" do you think this makes that void larger?

I'm inclined to have the same belief as you.

The legends Ricky Woods and Rush Propst would thrive in this S^%T.

PA approved theirs this week. Almost immediately an area coach who has the most massive ego ever, I would say is a border line true narcissist, that played pro ball posted on FB he was looking to broker deals for his kids. Within minutes someone posted the regulations for the state saying how it is a violation for a coach to solicit NIL for players. Then this guy complained and moaned how he was the victim somehow when people came at him.

So it's off to a great start in PA!!!!!!!

I'm in (MD).Just had our O lineman sign with Penn State. Our local Gold's gym reached out and offered him a free membership. No strings attached or appearances required. They just want to meet him and congratulate him. Stuff like that is pretty cool. I'm ok with situations like this on the local level. Brings the school and community together. Beyond that, I guess we'll see how things play out for all of these kids...

From my understanding. It was never against the associations rules to make money on your Name image or likeness. Now, it could have made you ineligible to play I. The ncaa. But 95% of kids were not going to be playing a college sport anyways.