The MHSAA’s New NIL Rule is Stupid—But Not for the Reason You Think
The MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Association) recently announced their rule for NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) for high school student athletes.
Yes, it’s stupid.
The MHSAA’s New NIL Rule is Stupid—But Not for the Reason You Think
Your first reaction may be “YES!!! Thank you! It’s SO stupid!!! They’re going to start paying high school athletes now??? This is getting ridiculous!!!”
Yeah, no. That’s not why it’s stupid. If you’re thinking of it in the same terms of universities paying their athletes directly with revenue sharing, or working with collectives and donors to secure money to compensate them then you may not realize that that’s not what this is at all. “They” aren’t going to start paying anybody in the same way.
It’s not allowed.
In fact, if you read the rule in its entirety you’ll find that the state hasn’t allowed ANYTHING new for student athletes. The rule is a guidance on what you cannot do. A school, a coach or anyone associated with the school cannot arrange for payments or sponsorship deals of any sort for student athletes. And if student athletes secure a deal with a business to become a spokesperson for that business they cannot use their school uniform, or their school premises to make content to post.
The rule says you can do what you’ve always been able to do with PBA (Personal Branding Activities - there’s a new acronym for you to get used to), and that’s build a personal brand online and get paid for YOUR name, image and likeness. There was nothing stopping you from doing that in the first place. If you have a student - not even an athlete - who is a junior in high school and has a big instagram following and likes the ice cream at the local ice cream parlor, they could go to the ice cream parlor and say “I’ve got 50k followers on Instagram and I’d love to be an ambassador for your store because I love your ice cream” and the store could pay them for posts enjoying their ice cream. Athlete or not.
A high school student can go to Squarespace tomorrow and purchase a website, build it and be up and running in no time. Building a personal brand. Athlete or not.
This announcement was a big nothing burger. Stupid.
BUT……
The announcement has everyone talking - and now the idea of a personal brand and potentially getting paid for student athletes is a thing. It’s become “official” now with this announcement. We presented this idea at Sound Mind Sound Body last April and you could see the lightbulbs going on for the parents we met with, but the urgency didn’t seem to be there. That all changed with this announcement from the MHSAA and it’s a bit comical.
It was a restriction sold as an expansion. Denial sold as permission. Stupid…………………………..or genius?
Either way it leaves high school student athletes and parents with a question:
So Here’s The Question:
What are YOU going to do about it?
Are you going to approach your personal brand like a business - an approach that will serve you beyond the last day of your athletic career whenever that time comes? If you’re an athlete you do have a slight advantage - especially if you’re high profile. If you are being recruited then people will know who you are in your community. They might be more interested in who you are, what you stand for, your goals, your grind. And you know whose eye it will also catch? Coaches at the next level. Coaches want people of intention on their teams. Smart, well-rounded and thoughtful student athletes. That’s a profile businesses like for hiring as well, and putting yourself on display in a professional way online will be a skillset you’ll be able to use your whole life. And you don’t have to be a FIVE STAR RECRUIT to do it. Anybody can be somebody online - IF you are motivated and have something of value to say.
And THAT’S the opportunity of NIL.
And that’s NOT stupid at all.
M10 Social is owned by Doug Cohen in West Bloomfield, MI and provides social media and digital marketing services from the Frameable Faces Photography studio Doug owns with his wife Ally. You can set up a call or meeting with Doug and Aaron Lax for personal branding by reaching out to Doug via mobile at tel:248-346-4121 or via email at doug@M10Social.com. NIL boot camps available for your parent/booster clubs at your high school as well.