Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association approves Wisconsin high school athletes can benefit from NIL opportunities
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The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association approved an amendment Friday allowing student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.
The amendment passed in a 293-108 vote.
A similar amendment was denied last April in a 219-170 vote.
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Wisconsin high school athletes will soon be able to profit off their names, images and likenesses.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, which governs most high school athletics programs in the state, voted 293-108 on Friday to let students enter into NIL contracts. A similar proposal was denied last April in a 219-170 vote.
The allowance comes with restrictions. Among them, athletes are not allowed to appear in their school uniform, and endorsements must not include marks, logos or other mention of the school team, school, conference or WIAA. Students are also banned from promoting products including gambling, cannabis, alcohol and a host of other items.
Students are still not allowed to use an agent to facilitate deals.
The change, which goes into effect at the end of May, is an 'historic and exciting moment for high school sports in Wisconsin," said Stephanie Grady, whose organization Influential Athlete LLC prepares elite female student athletes for NIL deals.
Influential Athlete partnered with the WIAA late last year to provide NIL education and support to the organization's 514 member schools. The partnership provided education for school leaders covering topics including why they should care about NIL and misconceptions the schools may have had, conducting workshops for student-athletes and being on retainer as a school administrator's NIL expert.
'Together, we are paving the way for student-athletes in Wisconsin to not only seize the opportunity NIL now offers — but to do so safely, compliantly, and successfully,' Grady said in a statement. 'This is just the beginning, and we are proud to stand alongside you in this new chapter.'
Wisconsin college athletes have been able to sign NIL deals since 2021 with athletes like Marquette University men's basketball star Stevie Mitchell, former University of Wisconsin-Madison football player Braelon Allen, former Marquette women's basketball guard Mackenzie Hare and former University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball player Patrick Baldwin Jr. taking part.
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