Florida's education board to consider compensation for high school athletes
TALLAHASSEE - The state Board of Education next week will consider ratifying a change that would allow high-school athletes to be compensated for such things as endorsement deals.
Last month, the Florida High School Athletic Association approved the change to allow compensation for the use of the athletes' names, images, and likenesses, or what has become widely known as NIL. The changes will be in effect for the upcoming school year.
Under the change, student-athletes and their parents or guardians would be required to "negotiate any NIL activities independent of their school, school district, or the FHSAA." The board also agreed to allow high-school athletes to hire agents to assist them in navigating business deals - reversing course on a longstanding prohibition.
The revamped bylaws now allow for the hiring of "registered" agents only for the "purpose of advising on NIL-related" matters.
The change, however, remains subject to approval by the state education board, which will meet Wednesday in Orlando.
The proposal comes after changes in recent years that allowed college athletes to be compensated for their names, images, and likenesses.
An initial college NIL law went into effect in Florida in July 2021 and was expanded last year. If the new proposal is approved, Florida would join about 30 states and the District of Columbia in allowing high school athletes to receive NIL compensation.
