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FHSAA approves NIL bylaw, awaiting state ratification

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Updated  July 12, 2024 11:36pm EDT
Sports
FOX 35 Orlando

FHSAA approves NIL bylaw, awaiting state approval

The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) voted to allow student-athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness. But it’s still not a done deal yet.

LAKE MARY, Fla. - The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) voted to allow student-athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness. But it’s still not a done deal yet.

"It’s a game-changer. I think to be able to brand myself and get myself out there early is definitely something special," Lake Mary High School star quarterback Noah Grubbs said in June after the state’s athletic association’s board of directors unanimously passed an NIL bylaw.

Athletes can cash in on their name, image, and likeness. As you can imagine, athletes across the state were excited. However, this won’t go into effect until the state board of education ratifies it in two weeks.

"At the high school level, Florida didn’t invent this. Florida was the 37th state to actually approve this," Influence Counsel Sports Agent Dan LaForest told FOX 35.

There’s already been some confusion.

The FHSAA posted a letter on its website, saying leaders are hearing of high school student-athletes signing up on the NIL Club platform. The website helps college athletes earn money through a collective effort. You can click on a team you want to support and donate money. It’s like a GoFundMe.

But that’s a big no-no at the high school level in Florida. All money earned must be ‘quid quo pro,’ meaning there’s an exchange for services.

Athletes who break this rule could lose their amateur status.

"The parents have to be involved. You have to understand, no contract is legal with a minor. So parents have to be involved; they have to make connections with brands," LaForest said. "It’s a full-time job. I don’t think how many people understand how much commitment is going into this."

With the fall sports season quickly approaching, the high school sports governing body hopes to have the complete rules ironed out soon.

LaForest and the Influencer Counsel are hosting a free workshop at Central Florida Christian Academy on Saturday at 10 a.m., where they’ll teach the "dos and don'ts" of Florida’s NIL rules.