Georgia Makes Shocking Reversal on NIL for High School Athletes

High school athletes in Georgia will now have to adjust to these changes.

The Richmond Hill Wildcats, left, in black, and the Creekside Knights congratulate each other after the game of the Florida-Georgia Border Classic high school football matchup Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023 at Glynn County Stadium in Brunswick, Ga. The Richmond Hill Wildcats defeated the Creekside Knights 43-31 / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

Since it became allowed for amateur athletes to profit off their Name, Image, and Likeness while still maintaining NCAA eligibility, the marketplace has completely run rampant with companies, schools, and states trying to adjust.

All at once, something new was introduced into the landscape, and with the NCAA seemingly not prepared for what this would do to its high-profile sports, there is a lot of catching up that has needed to be done by different parties involved.

NIL is largely discussed at the collegiate level since it's become a main factor in recruiting and roster building, but different states across the country have also allowed their high school athletes to start profiting off their own name, image, and likeness if they can.

Some have been on the forefront of these things, while others are slowly getting to that point.

Still, there are states out there like North Carolina who don't allow their public school athletes to make money through NIL even though their private school athletes can.

That's just one example of many regarding how everything is different within this landscape.

There was some surprising news reported by Becky Taylor of The Thomasville Times-Enterprise that the state of Georgia will no longer allow high school athletes to be a "member of nor receive compensation" from Collectives or NIL Clubs.

"A Collective is defined as any group organized or existing for the purpose of compensating or benefiting an individual student[-]athlete or group of student[-]athletes of a member school. NIL Clubs are defined as a group of student[-]athletes organized or existing for the purpose of soliciting funds or other benefits from fans, members or other sources, managing or promoting NIL activities of student[-]athletes or otherwise providing funds or other benefits to an individual student[-]athlete or group of student[-]athletes," part of the amendment for the new Georgia High School Association's passage reads.

Taylor reports the GHSA Board of Trustees voted 14-0 in favor of this update.

Booster Clubs are still permitted under the supervision of schools in the state, but that can only benefit schools, sports or facilities and not specific players.

Those in violation of these new rules may lose eligibility, while their schools may be punished with fines, forfeits and/or probation and postseason bans as stated in the updated passage.

Now, it should be pointed out that players can still profit off their name, image, and likeness, they just aren't able to be part of Collectives or these NIL clubs while still participating in high school athletics.

If certain companies want to pay a student-athlete, they are not prohibited from partaking in that deal.

However, Taylor also reports that "no video or photo connected with an NIL deal can be recorded on school property or at a school facility," and those looking to make money through NIL "cannot use any intellectual property of their schools, or of the GHSA."

This is an interesting reversal and could open the door for similar changes across the country.