NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) is a way for athletes who are typically in college to make money off of their own personal brand through brand deals and partnerships with businesses. NIL was banned in college until 2021, when it was officially legalized. Since then, the idea of NIL has spread outside of college and into high schools across all fifty states. Recently, the MHSAA legalized NIL deals for high schoolers. An alteration of previously long-standing rules would be sure to leave Michigan high school student-athletes with thoughts and opinions.
“It's a big change. I'm not gonna say it's major, like it's changing the whole shape of high school football, but it's big in terms of a personal level,” John Orlandi (‘28) said.
Orlandi, a multi-sport athlete, would surely understand why another high school athlete would want to make a brand for themself, while also earning some money on the side. Orlandi and other athletes would definitely take advantage of the new opportunity from the MHSAA.
“I think it's gonna want to make a lot of high school athletes transfer to a bigger area like Detroit or Grand Rapids, because then they can get more opportunities to sell their brand,” Orlandi said.
Private schools require a yearly tuition to attend classes there, and, with NIL, they can offer athletes money on top of a discounted or free tuition to attend their school and play on their sports teams, all while playing in the same sports leagues as public schools. This leaves public high school students seeing themselves at a disadvantage.
“I think it's a negative [for Michigan high school sports] because people can now transfer to bigger areas, not because of a coach or family there, but just to make more money,” Orlandi said. “I think it would give private schools more of an advantage than public schools because now they can give them NIL money.”
The question of NIL for high school athletes in Michigan, changing sports, is one piece of the modification. However, the other is why the MHSAA made the change in the first place.
“Because the MHSAA saw that the NCAA did it, they believe that it was a success and that they could translate it down to the high school level,” Orlandi said.
Though some students may believe that NIL will bring a big shift in the operation of high school athletes on an individual level, there are also contrary views that follow the alteration of NIL rules.
“I think it's going to benefit like three total athletes in the state of Michigan. There's going to be one in every one thousand parents going to go crazy about it and try to get their kid to earn NIL,” Ben Van Hoek (‘26) said. “It’s not going to change much else.”
If a Michigan high school student-athlete wants to pursue an NIL brand for themself, that is their choice, but what makes some students believe that other student athletes won’t chase NIL brand deals?
“A very small percentage of parents and students are going to be entitled enough to think that they should earn NIL,” Van Hoek said.
