JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida High School Athletic Association is warning schools of potential name, image and likeness issues on the still yet-to-be implemented bylaw change.
The message — it’s not legal here just yet.
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The FHSAA posted a letter Friday about a website, www.nilclub.com, that allows interested parties to donate to select teams. Many teams with higher donations are at the college level, but there are multiple Florida high schools, including a number of local programs with local athletes registered on it to receive NIL. Several local high schools have sent emails to parents warning them about nilclub.com.
“The FHSAA has been apprised that there may be a company that is seeking to collect money to provide NIL compensation to student-athletes, which is strictly prohibited by FHSAA Bylaw 9.9 Amateurism, which remains in effect. This is a violation of FHSAA Bylaw 9.9 Amateurism and subject to sanctions including loss of amateur status,” the association said in its post.
The issue, which the FHSAA emphasized in its letter, is that NIL is not yet official for Florida high school athletes. While the FHSAA board voted unanimously to approve NIL earlier this month, the State Board of Education still has to ratify any bylaw change for it to take effect. That is expected to happen in mid-July.
“Please meet with your principal, coaches, parents, student-athletes and any other representatives of the school’s athletic interest and clearly emphasize that FHSAA Bylaw 9.9 Amateurism and Name, Image, and Likeness has not been ratified by the State Board of Education, and as such, FHSAA Bylaw 9.9 Amateurism, remains in effect, and that no NIL activities are to be conducted,” the FHSAA wrote.
Mandarin receiver Jaime Ffrench was one of the first athletes to publicly announce an NIL deal, doing so just hours after the board voted to pass it. Ffrench’s 7-on-7 program, South Florida Express, announced Ffrench and Vernell Brown’s NIL deal with American Eagle, although it’s unclear if that deal was with the 7-on-7 program itself or the two players. Two people close to the situation told News4JAX that neither Ffrench nor his family has signed an NIL deal.