TAMPA, Fla. — The wave of new rules that have transformed the college sports landscape and empowered student-athletes to earn money off of their name, image and likeness has found another fertile home: high school athletics.
Dozens of states — from New York to California and now Florida — are all backing student-athletes in a paradigm shift in sports.
Florida becomes one of more than 30 states and D.C. to give high school athletes the green light, but with plenty of guardrails. That includes parents or guardians being involved in the process for any deal.
Orlando-area wide receiver Vernell Brown III, one of the top high school recruits in the country, says the moment feels significant —and rewarding.
“Just like collegiate athletes and professional athletes who put that time in working hard, I think high school athletes put that in as well,” he told NBC News. “They’re grinding to get to that next level, so I definitely think there should be some benefit … that pays off for their hard work and ultimately gives us a financial jump-start in life.”
Brown — who has whittled down his list of college suitors from 44 to a handful of some of the most prestigious programs in the country including Ohio State, Florida State and the University of Miami — has already inked a deal with Adidas.
He joins six other prominent players in an agreement the company has promoted on social media and says marks its first with high school football athletes.
The deal cannot go into effect until July, however, when the Florida State Board of Education votes to ratify the new rules.
“I’m extremely grateful for it,” Brown said. “I think it definitely means more of being on the forefront [of NIL in Florida].”
The checks and balances surrounding the state’s rules are numerous and meant to protect against abuse.
Those bylaws address everything from what products students can endorse (alcohol, gambling and vaping are prohibited), to a ban on so-called collectives used…
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