Idaho becomes latest state to allow high school student-athletes to monetize NIL

Idaho has joined the growing list of schools to allow high school student-athletes to turn a profit on their NIL.

The Idaho High School Activities Association released rule changes for the 2022-23 academic year, which includes guidance allowing athletes to participate in NIL activities.

In its new rules, the IDHSAA specifically outlines players are not to be affiliated with their school team, school, league or district when executing a business deal. Student-athletes can participate in a commercial endorsement. Their amateur status will be forfeited if they are profiting from athletic fame by receiving compensation in affiliation with their school.

Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota and Utah are the 13 other states which allow high school athletes a workaround for athletes to receive financial compensation for their accomplishments on the field.

The IDHSAA handbook states athletes are allowed to be paid for instructing or officiating at a camp or youth sports activity. There is no specific language in Idaho’s handbook on players hiring representation.

Idaho high school athletes should benefit

While Idaho does not generate the most NFL or NBA talent per capita, the state has talent who will benefit from the change.

C.J. Jacobsen, a three-star tight end in the class of 2023, holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $14,700. This places him in the top 1,000 of On3’s NIL high school football rankings. With 4,000 followers across social media platforms, he holds a $131 per post value. Utah currently is the favorite to land his commitment, per the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. The Utes hold a 33% chance while NC State sits in second at 23.2%.

The top-ranked basketball player in the state of Idaho, Blake Buchanan is a three-star recruit. The center from Coeur D Alene Lake City has an On3 NIL Valuation of $12,900. With his more than 4,000 social media followers and an RPM that is leaning toward Virginia, his valuation ranks No. 96 in the On3 NIL basketball rankings.

The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. However, it rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

The On3 NIL 100 is the first of its kind and the defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by market valuation.

Gem State decision adds to murky NIL situation

The National Federation of State High School Associations doesn’t track state associations that allow NIL. State high school athletic associations across the country, however, have been having frank discussions about NIL.

“States are in catch-up mode,” Geoff Kimmerly, communications director with the Michigan High School Athletic Association, told Stateline. “It’s a very fast-moving process right now.”

The Ohio High School Athletic Association voted against student-athletes involvement in NIL activities while still being able to maintain their high school eligibility earlier this month.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association board passed the first reading of a policy last week that would allow student-athletes to be paid for “commercial endorsements, promotional activities, social media presence, product or service advertisements and unique digital items/assets,” according to the policy. Two more readings are required before the policy passes.

Other state associations, such as Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Delaware and Massachusetts, are also discussing revisions to NIL rules. But in most of those states considering new high school referendums, NIL is currently against the rules.

Most high school associations – including major states like Texas, Florida and Georgia – prohibit student-athletes from participating in NIL.

NIL has become a hot-button issue at the college level. The NCAA adopted a NIL policy on July 1, 2021, for all incoming and current student-athletes in all sports. The NCAA issued guidance in early May aimed at limiting the impact of boosters. Experts said the NCAA’s guidance did nothing to clear up the situation.