FHSAA releases first NIL proposal

The Florida High School Athletic Association has put forth its first proposal that would allow student-athletes to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness (NIL).

The FHSAA Board of Directors is set to meet Monday evening to discuss the possible adoption. Those familiar with the proposal have said it’s similar to other states.

A recent story from The Palm Beach Post detailed the proposal laid out by the FHSAA about NIL participation. Below is an excerpt from the The Palm Beach Post story.

Student-athletes would be prohibited from NIL deals with adult entertainment products or services, alcohol, tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products, cannabis products, controlled substances, prescription pharmaceuticals, gambling (including sports betting, the lottery and betting in connection with video games, online games and mobile devices), weapons, firearms and ammunition.

The proposal also spells out discipline for student-athletes who violate the NIL bylaws. A first offense results in a formal warning as well as immediately having the NIL agreement terminated with any compensation having to be returned. A second offense would make the student-athlete ineligible to represent any member school for one year and a third offense would make a student-athlete ineligible for their high school career.

The FHSAA proposal also states that school employees, boosters or representatives cannot “form, direct, offer, provide, or otherwise engage” in NIL agreements with student-athletes and that NIL activities should not be used as a disguise for athletic recruiting.

A student-athlete who transfers during the season to another member school will be prohibited from securing a NIL agreement during that season unless a good cause exemption is granted by the FHSAA.

Florida is in the minority of states that do not allow student-athletes to sign NIL deals. The Georgia High School Association approved a bylaw allowing student-athletes to profit from NIL in October. Georgia became the 30th state, as well as the District of Columbia, to allow high school athletes to profit from NIL.