Important Update for Students/Parents: WIAA Approves Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Policy

At our annual meeting on April 25, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) approved a policy allowing high school student-athletes to engage in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities. This means students can now be compensated for personal brand activities like endorsements or social media promotions—as long as those opportunities are completely independent of their school, team, conference, or the WIAA.

What Students/Parents Should Know:

• No School Affiliation: NIL opportunities must not involve the student’s school uniform, team logo, name, or anything that ties back to their school, conference, or the WIAA.
  
  
• No Restricted Products: Students may not promote or endorse products such as gambling, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, adult entertainment, or firearms.
  
  
• No Performance-Based Pay: NIL compensation cannot be based on how well a student performs in their sport (e.g., scoring, winning).
  
  
• No Recruitment Influence: Students cannot receive NIL deals as an incentive to attend or remain at a particular school.
  
  
• No Agents or School Help: Students may not use agents or third-party representatives, and schools or school staff are not allowed to help arrange or promote NIL deals.
  
  
• No Interference with School: NIL activities must not interfere with a student-athlete’s academic responsibilities or cause them to miss practices, competitions, travel, or other team obligations.
  
  

Important Note for Families:
“Persons Associated With the School” are strictly prohibited from offering NIL opportunities to student-athletes. This includes—but is not limited to—current or former coaches, athletes, parents or caregivers of current/former athletes (with the exception of a student’s own parent), booster club members, alumni, teachers, school employees, and individuals connected to businesses that have donated money, equipment, apparel, or supplies to the school.

This new NIL policy gives student-athletes more freedom to pursue opportunities while maintaining fairness, academic focus, and their amateur athletic status.

If you have questions, I encourage you to reach out with questions you may have via phone or email.

Dan Stengel
dstengel@sasd.net
920.459.3605