ATLANTA — Georgia's high school sports governing body passed guidelines on Monday regulating name, image and likeness (NIL) deals for student-athletes.
The Georgia High School Association passed a modification to by-law 1.92-c by a vote of 66-9.
Georgia now joins the two dozen-plus states that allow NIL deals for high school athletes.
Among the more significant provisions in the guidelines is a stipulation that NIL compensation cannot be "contingent on specific athletic performance or achievement" or "provided as an incentive to enroll or remain enrolled at a specific school." They also include a prohibition on athletes utilizing school logos, names, uniforms and other marks or apparel/equipment as part of their NIL deals.
The full language of the amended rule reads as follows:
The GHSA does not specifically prohibit students from engaging in certain commercial activities as individuals. These activities, commonly referred to as name, image and likeness (NIL), will not put a student’s amateur status at risk provided the student meets all the requirements for maintaining amateur status in compliance with GHSA by-law 1.92-c and providing there is no violation of by-laws prohibiting influencing a student to attend or remain at a member school under GHSA by-law 1.70 (Recruiting/Undue Influence/Following The Coach).
A student-athlete may benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL) in compliance with GHSA by-law 1.92-c provided:
- The compensation is not contingent on specific athletic performance or achievement.
- The compensation is not provided as a incentive to enroll or remain enrolled at a specific school.
- The compensation is not provided by the school or any person acting as an agent for the school.
The following guidelines are in effect for NIL activities:
- Intellectual property - No “marks” may be used including, but not limited to, school logos, school name, school uniforms, school mascot, or any trademarked GHSA logo or acronyms.
- No school apparel or equipment shall be worn, which includes school name, school uniforms, school logo, school mascot or any apparel displaying trademarked GHSA logos or acronyms.
- No member school facility may be used for the purpose of name, image and likeness activities.
- No activities in conflict with a member school’s local school district policy may be endorsed. (Examples include, but are not limited to, tobacco products, alcohol products and controlled substances.)
- Students and their families should seek professional guidance as to how NIL activities could impact collegiate financial aid and/or tax implications, among other issues.
- Within seven (7) calendar days after entering into any type of NIL contract/agreement, a student, or the student’s parents/guardians, must notify the Principal or Athletic Director of the student’s school of entering into that agreement
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