Navigating NIL: A patchwork of policies governing high school athletes
Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) is more the rule than the exception in high school sports. In 41 states and the District of Columbia, high school associations permit athletes to be compensated for appearing in advertisements and for using social…
Boom in NIL opportunities exposes need for education for athletes and their parents
As the number of state high school athletic associations that allow Name, Image and Likeness deals for athletes has grown, the need for NIL education seemingly has grown as well. Yet in all but a few states, players and families…
For College HUNKS, Portland Gear, high school athletes are star endorsers
Nick Friedman and Omar Soliman are well known for their success as entrepreneurs. They appeared on the first episode of “Shark Tank.” They’ve grown College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving, the company they started in 2005, from a small operation…
Even in the era of high school NIL, most states oppose collectives
Malik Crozier, a 17-year-old football player from Brigham City, Utah, is a member of two teams. One is the football team at Box Elder High School, where Crozier is a wide receiver. Another is NIL Club, a national online service…
Impact of NIL on transfers is unknown but raises questions for high school officials
A star basketball recruit moves from one top high school program to another in the Washington D.C. area, just before the start of the school year. Two more top prospects leave Alabama for Georgia. None of these transfers has been…
Little League Baseball provides big stage for youth athletes but its NIL rules are murky
There’s no bigger stage for a youth athlete than the annual Little League World Series, an international tournament for youth baseball stars every August in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Last year’s title game between the eventual champs Lake Mary, Florida, and Taoyuan,…
High School Sports and NIL: An Explainer
This video provides an overview of the current patchwork approach to NIL, with policies differing from state to state.
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
"High School Sports and NIL: How dollars are changing the game" is a four-month investigation into Name, Image and Likeness and its impact on high school sports. The reporting reveals a patchwork approach with most states permitting NIL but under differing rules and nine states prohibiting or greatly restricting it. Differences among state policies has created challenges for athletes, parents and others who may be unfamiliar with the rules and incentives for some elite players to switch schools and states in pursuit of better deals.
Produced by students at the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism, the project includes an in-depth state-by-state report that compares and contrasts how high school athletic associations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are navigating NIL.
A dozen student journalists participated in the project, reviewing NIL policies and conducting dozens of interviews across the country with athletes, coaches, school principals and business owners who have hired high school athletes as spokespeople.
