DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A big decision for the Georgia High School Association is on the table this week. The board meets Thursday to consider limiting the way student-athletes can make money through NIL (Name, Image, Likeness).
High School coaches in the metro are adding perspective.
Desmond Stegall is the head baseball coach at Maynard Jackson High School. He recognizes that sports are changing, and it's inevitable.
"This is the world we live in now," Stegall said. "With sports being able to generate so much money, I think it's only trickling down to high school sports. It's only right."
Stegall said he does have reservations about NIL deals; however, he understands how much of a difference money makes.
"That less-fortunate kid who doesn't have the money--this allows him to make money to go to college," Stegall said.
Back in Fall 2023, the GHSA voted to allow NIL deals for student-athletes. It's considering adjusting and changing the rules not even a year later.
Read the proposed amendment below
Once student-athletes found out, an anonymous letter was sent to the association and various media outlets, expressing student-athlete disappointment. Here's the email:
To Whom It May Concern,
I hope this email finds you well. I am a high school student-athlete here in Georgia, and I am writing today to find anyone who will listen and put student-athletes first. This includes not just the superstars, but every student-athlete in Georgia. I want to express my concerns and disappointment regarding the proposed amendment to Appendix "N" of the GHSA bylaws, which is on the agenda for the GHSA Board of Trustees Meeting on July 18, 2024 (https://www.ghsa.net/sites/default/files/documents/executivecommittee/GHSA_BOT_Agenda July_ 18_2024.pdf).
It appears as though the GHSA either does not want student-athletes to earn money at all, or they only want the superstars to benefit and not the other 200,000 student-athletes who make high school sports so special. If that is the case, it might be more honest to ban NIL activities entirely rather than create an environment where only a select few can benefit. The proposed approach is discriminatory and discouraging for the majority of student-athletes who are trying to make a positive impact and learn important life lessons through these activities.
More than 50,000 student-athletes are currently benefiting from the NIL Club app, gaining valuable lessons in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and community engagement. This app is the most common way Georgia student-athletes are making money from NIL. Taking this away is effectively taking NIL away from the 99% of student-athletes who are not superstars.
This proposed amendment appears to be specifically targeting the NIL Club app and its users, which feels incredibly unfair and overly restrictive given this is the only way many of us are making money from NIL. I have learned that I can create value and build an online community, which has been a learning experience unlike anything I have experienced so far in a classroom.
The proposed amendment is so broad that it prohibits a wide range of activities that many of us will participate in, such as charity events, sponsorship and endorsement deals, selling branded merchandise, monetizing social media channels, and much more. By banning these opportunities, the GHSA is taking away important learning experiences and ensuring that only top athletes benefit, while dashing the hopes of non-star players.
It seems counterintuitive that Georgia would want to move backwards and add more regulation while nearly every other state is moving towards less restrictive NIL policies. Legislators across the country have recognized the value of allowing student-athletes to participate in NIL activities, understanding that it fosters an appreciation for capitalism and promotes personal growth. By blocking these opportunities, Georgia is sending a message that is anti-American and against the values we hold dear. Give every student-athlete a chance; don't enact a policy that creates two classes of student-athletes.
I urge you to reconsider this amendment and find a more balanced approach that allows all student-athletes to benefit from NIL activities. Let's create an environment where every student, regardless of their athletic prowess, has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Marist School Head Football Coach Alan Chadwick said the students have other options when it comes to making money.
"That's what the Summer's for," Chadwick said. "When I was growing up, I worked construction, I worked at a car wash, I did those things every Summer to try to make the spending money that I needed."
Some parents on social media said players should be focused on the books. Chadwick said juggling sports and academics is already hard enough.
"If it takes them away from their studies, if it takes them away from concentrating on Marist football, then I see that as a negative," Chadwick said.
Mick Assaf is the CEO of NIL Club. He shared this statement:
Since the GHSA approved NIL in October 2023, more than 10,000 high school students in Georgia have signed up to begin their journey as entrepreneurs and creators. Our platform is not a collective, and students from various backgrounds use it. While many participate in GHSA-sponsored activities, many others do not. For example, we have numerous band members and debate students using our technology.
Many of our users are concerned about how broadly the amendment is written and how it might impact them beyond using an NIL app. For something with such a wide-reaching impact, this feels rushed. We are disappointed to see the GHSA trying to hastily make a reactionary change without understanding the impact on all student-athletes, including those who participate in any activity where they solicit money for any reason from any source (e.g., bake sales, car washes, mission trips).
Our goal is to ensure an equal playing field platform is available to everyone in Georgia, including public schools, private schools, rural schools, and urban schools. Our platform aims to:
Provide a healthy environment for high school NIL.
Ensure compliance guardrails in partnership with the state association.
Offer opportunities for education in financial literacy, health, and wellness.
Empower all students, not just high-profile athletes, to maximize their NIL potential.
Our platform creates an even playing field where students are rewarded based on how hard they work. Success is not guaranteed, and it is not concentrated on a specific area or sport. Seventy-two of the top 100 NIL Clubs for earnings in Georgia are primarily run by students currently attending public schools.
The GHSA approved NIL on October 2, 2023. As a former high school athlete in Georgia, I was very proud of their forward-thinking approach. In October 2023, I traded multiple emails with Dr. Hines, during which I explained in detail how our platform works and how it will benefit students in Georgia. I asked for any feedback on changes we should make to ensure compliance with the GHSA’s bylaws, and Dr. Hines didn’t suggest any changes.
Both coaches agree that one thing they don't want to change is the foundation of playing high school sports.
"High school is the most purest form of football that we've got," Chadwick said.
"I just don't want high school sports to lose the integrity and the principles that it was built off [of]," Stegall said.
The board plans to meet on Thursday, July 18, at 10 a.m. in Thomaston.