High school athletes in Florida can now be paid for the use of their name, image and likeness or NIL.
The Florida Board of Education voted to approve the new policy on Wednesday, July 24, at their meeting in Orlando.
That includes making money off of, “commercial endorsements, promotional activities, social media presence, product, or service advertisements.”
The Florida High School Athletic Association unanimously approved the rules in June.
Board member Esther Byrd said she still wants to see a registration database put in place, to keep track of the kids entering into these contracts in order to protect them and their families.
“You have the full support of the board to make sure you do what needs to be done to make sure those bad actors don’t prey on our kids,” Byrd said.
Board chair Ben Gibson echoed these sentiments and asked the FHSAA to come back with an update on a registration database and website with resources for families, including sample contracts by the board’s next meeting in September.
He also asked for consistent updates throughout the year.
“At the end of the day, the number one priority is protecting the student athletes. This could be a great opportunity, but we want to make sure we do it in a manner where they’re protected and not exploited,” Gibson said.
Under the new rules, student athletes are not allowed to make money off of their school’s name, logo, mascot or uniform as part of these deals.
They also can’t enter contracts with companies that would promote adult entertainment, vaping, marijuana, gambling, weapons, and political or social activism.
Finally, students are not allowed to engage with NIL collectives, and NIL contracts can’t be used to pressure players to join certain teams as part of recruitment efforts.
Florida joins nearly 40 states that already allow student athletes to enter NIL agreements.
The rules take effect just as the 2024-2025 high school sports season begins in a few weeks.
Read the new rules here:
