Q of the Week: Why aren't we talking about NIL?

[EdgyTim]

Just saw one underclassmen quarterback announce via his Twitter account that he has representation for any NIL opportunities....and I'm expecting more to follow.

So why aren't we talking about this yet? Seems like it's been a very slow crawl so far at the high school level Again this thread will not be turned into a player bitch session.....but this opportunity is available now....and will we see it take off?

Linked is a nice compliation of the IHSA NIL rules from (Burlington) Central High School

NIL (Name, Image, & Likeness) |

chs.central301.net

 

[4Afan]

I gotta say, I do not like this. The IHSA won't seed teams 1-32 in all classes in football, but they'll pass this?

I understand it in college because college athletics is a billion dollar industry and those players deserve to be paid for being the main catalyst for the money that comes into the universities. What leverage do high school athletes in Illinois have to warrant NIL?

 

[PowerI66]

I gotta say, I do not like this. The IHSA won't seed teams 1-32 in all classes in football, but they'll pass this?

I understand it in college because college athletics is a billion dollar industry and those players deserve to be paid for being the main catalyst for the money that comes into the universities. What leverage do high school athletes in Illinois have to warrant NIL?

IHSA can't stop it

 

[greatgig13]

I’m happier reading about and watching high school football without the hoopla.

 

[MS4EVER]

Can overweight, asthmatic, past their prime equipment managers get in on this NIL madness?

 

[greatgig13]

Can overweight, asthmatic, past their prime equipment managers get in on this NIL madness?

Following…Well, less the equipment manager part.

 

[mc140]

This only becomes interesting if some non traditional power finds a money guy to hand out NIL money.

 

[epicbret]

If a kid can make his community proud enough someone wants him to make an add, hell yeah.

 

[epicbret]

"Your star Whip-purs QB eats Chick-n-Dip before every big game!"

 

[olderbytheminute]

Just saw one underclassmen quarterback announce via his Twitter account that he has representation for any NIL opportunities....and I'm expecting more to follow.

So why aren't we talking about this yet? Seems like it's been a very slow crawl so far at the high school level Again this thread will not be turned into a player bitch session.....but this opportunity is available now....and will we see it take off?

Linked is a nice compliation of the IHSA NIL rules from (Burlington) Central High School

NIL (Name, Image, & Likeness) |

chs.central301.net

To pile on the question about NIL for high school athletes is this…
Would it not be wise for every top-end prep football player to have an agent to sift through the various cash contracts they will be offered by schools hiring them starting with the 2025 college football season?
I mean contracts could I assume vary in terms of actual pay, length of contract, playing time bonuses, etc.
Because the Elster players are going to sign contracts I am completely baffled as to why any senior star verbally commits to any school without having read the contract offer.
Nobody would go into a job interview and commit to working there without knowing the pay and other contract terms yet a big deal is still being made about verbal commitments.
The 2025 football season is a new world. College football already has the transfer portal. What we will have soon is players sifting through college contract offers and taking the best deal for them with money and contract terms now being the biggest issue.
I can see agents being hired to help an 18 year old determine best offer.
Kind of makes verbal commitment a thing of the past with the college contract now being the driving force.

 

[EdgyTim]

To pile on the question about NIL for high school athletes is this…
Would it not be wise for every top-end prep football player to have an agent to sift through the various cash contracts they will be offered by schools hiring them starting with the 2025 college football season?
I mean contracts could I assume vary in terms of actual pay, length of contract, playing time bonuses, etc.
Because the Elster players are going to sign contracts I am completely baffled as to why any senior star verbally commits to any school without having read the contract offer.
Nobody would go into a job interview and commit to working there without knowing the pay and other contract terms yet a big deal is still being made about verbal commitments.
The 2025 football season is a new world. College football already has the transfer portal. What we will have soon is players sifting through college contract offers and taking the best deal for them with money and contract terms now being the biggest issue.
I can see agents being hired to help an 18 year old determine best offer.
Kind of makes verbal commitment a thing of the past with the college contract now being the driving force.

Terrific point Older and is one of many issues that will need to be sorted out and addressed sooner rather than later....and how long until the union people get involved?

 

[olderbytheminute]

Terrific point Older and is one of many issues that will need to be sorted out and addressed sooner rather than later....and how long until the union people get involved?

Regarding union people getting involved ...
I think we are headed for 2025 and 2026 seasons of total chaos in which schools and the newly-paid professional college players alike at least 90 pct. unhappy.
At which point, it's certainly realistic that the professional college football players form a union, not unlike the players union in the NFL.
The union could then bargain with the schools on wages, insurance, transfering, salary vs. playing time, etc.
It might even get to the point where there is a frehman pay scale, and a sophomore pay scale, etc., and also even player "draft" and when you are a senior in high school you make yourself eligible for the college draft among the 60 or teams that are paying players.
Without a draft, I mean the top 5 high school seniors could all sign with the same school, creating a haves vs. have littles vs. have nothings situation in which the 60 elite programs become the 12 overly elite programs.
Gotta be some way to collectively bargain to keep that from happening.
This is now professional sports. And in the sport of football, there is a successful union model to follow ... the NFL.
I think a college football players union to work with/against the colleges who own the football teams is not just likely, but unavoidable.

 

[corey90]

I am glad my kids are done playing and grown up. All this contract money stuff for HS players could IMO ruin football. I mean most of these kids are not mature enough and adding all this money is not going to be good. I see a lot of issues in the near future in both college and high school. I get it the kids deserve a piece of the pie but many of them won’t be able to handle it. IMO

 

[crusader_of_90]

Shilo Sanders bankruptcy case: Judge issues ruling before start of trial

A federal judge issued a ruling in Shilo Sanders' bankruptcy case this week. The Colorado Buffaloes defensive back and his attorneys tried to dismiss a complain

www.si.com

 

[sporthog9er]

Just my 2 cents...I don't think we are talking about it because it's just overall unlikely to impact the vast majority of HS kids.

Yes, there will be a couple very high-profile type of national kids that may be able to latch on to some opportunities. But 99% of HS kids? No, I don't think major businesses, let alone local businesses- are going to offer deals or money to the average HS athlete.

Unless it's somehow a super high profile kid that is well known everywhere, it doesn't make sense for businesses to throw money or deals at 15-18 HS kids that won't bring in substantial money back to a HS program or the local business. Doesn't make sense for them.

 

[SiuCubFan8]

Just my 2 cents...I don't think we are talking about it because it's just overall unlikely to impact the vast majority of HS kids.

Yes, there will be a couple very high-profile type of national kids that may be able to latch on to some opportunities. But 99% of HS kids? No, I don't think major businesses, let alone local businesses- are going to offer deals or money to the average HS athlete.

Unless it's somehow a super high profile kid that is well known everywhere, it doesn't make sense for businesses to throw money or deals at 15-18 HS kids that won't bring in substantial money back to a HS program or the local business. Doesn't make sense for them.

I’m interested in Texas HS football and this…IL not so much.

 

[Golden Warrior]

Just my 2 cents...I don't think we are talking about it because it's just overall unlikely to impact the vast majority of HS kids.

This.

 

[ClownBaby]

Just my 2 cents...I don't think we are talking about it because it's just overall unlikely to impact the vast majority of HS kids.

We should be talking about it because sites like this won’t exist in 5-10 years. The Rivals network and others that are similar have business models that are built completely off getting free content from high schools and turning around and selling it for profit. At some point high schools and kids will see that they can make $$ off of it.