NIL 101: what football parents actually need to know
A plain-English read on Name, Image, and Likeness — what it is, what it isn't, and what a high-school family should actually do about it.
NIL — Name, Image, and Likeness — is the right for an athlete to get paid for who they are: a follower count, a local appearance, a brand deal, a camp clinic. It is not a scholarship. It is not guaranteed. It is not a job offer.
For most high-school families, three things are true. First, NIL only matters if your athlete has an audience or a local market. Second, every state has different rules — the high-school federation matters more than the NCAA at this age. Third, anything signed before college can affect eligibility if it touches the school logo.
What to do now: build the brand quietly. A clean social presence, real content, real character. Save the contracts for after a coach is actually offering. And when an opportunity does come in — read it with someone who reads contracts for a living, not the family group chat.
NIL is real. The hype around it is mostly not.