Georgia High School Association expected to approve NIL deals for athletes next week

According to multiple sources, The Georgia High School Association is expected on Monday to amend its bylaws to allow high school student-athletes to participate in NIL without losing their eligibility.

Dan Greene, a NIL expert and associate attorney at Newman & Lickstein in Syracuse, N.Y., shared a screenshot of the proposed new GHSA NIL guidelines. The changes are expected to be discussed during the GHSA’s State Executive Committee meeting on Monday, and all indications are the amendments will pass.

It could be a seismic moment for NIL on the high school level, Greene said.

Over the past year and a half, the number of high school athletic associations that have passed changes to NIL policy has increased to 32 across the country. Yet, a large swath of state associations in the South – headlined by Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Texas – do not allow for high school athletes to engage in NIL activities and still play high school sports.

But Georgia – which alone has 46 football recruits in the Class of 2024 ranked four stars or higher – would be noteworthy and could spark other states to make changes.

“If approved, I believe this will create a domino effect with other southern high school associations approving NIL sooner rather than later,” Greene said.

Even GHSA executive director Dr. Robin Hines indicated in an earlier interview with On3 that a change in Georgia could create a tipping point.

“In Georgia, we stand alone, and we make our own decisions,” Hines said. “But I’ve been told if once we do it, it’ll make it easier for some of those other states to come on.”

GHSA has been working on NIL policy for months

For those following the space, the news that the Georgia High School Association has been working on a NIL reform plan is nothing new. In fact, minutes of the January 11 GHSA board meeting revealed that Hines led a discussion about name, image and likeness issues in future state-sanctioned events.

According to the minutes, Hines told the committee that more than 20 states have already approved rules concerning NIL on the high school level. The minutes also say Hines “felt Georgia should be prepared to do the same in the very near future.” To that end, Hines informed the board that the GHSA office would prepare a proposal to be presented at a later point.

The proposal from the GHSA comes with limitations.

If approved, NIL deals cannot be linked to a specific achievement or performance, and athletes won’t be allowed to use their schools’ name, logos or uniforms or other intellectual property. Schools or school representatives may not use NIL deals to entice an athlete to enroll. These changes mirror many of the other alterations that have been made by other high school associations across the country.

Where is NIL allowed for HS athletes?

The current GHSA constitution says high school athletes risk forfeiting their amateur status by “capitalizing on athletic fame by receiving money or gifts with monetary value except for college scholarships.” Previously, the Georgia High School Athletic Association released a statement in July 2021 handing the decision and guidance over NIL to state legislators.

Who could benefit from NIL changes in Georgia?

Georgia, especially the Atlanta area, is a destination spot for football recruiters in every power conference in the country. In fact, the 2024 class features five-star prospects like safety KJ Bolden, linebacker Sammy Brown, quarterback Dylan Raiola, receiver Mike Matthews, defensive lineman Eddrick Houston and Air Noland.

All six are already committed to top-level programs and the changes would allow them to participate in NIL – even with companies tied to their future college destinations.

But a big winner could be Class of 2026 four-star quarterback recruit and USC commit Julian Lewis out of Carrollton, Georgia. He’s viewed by many as the top quarterback prospect in the high school ranks regardless of class. Plus, he’s already put himself in a position to cash in on NIL.

The 6-foot, 185-pound Lewis has become a bit of a social media sensation, boasting more than 192,000 followers. That following count can equal real brand dollars down the road for the quarterback.

“JuJu is probably the reason that NIL is being looked at hard in Georgia because I don’t care who you are, and what side of the fence you’re on, you got to look at this at some point as a parent and know that young man could have major opportunities,” On3’s Rusty Mansell, a prominent voice in Georgia high school football, previously said.