The name, image and likeness agreement that took college athletics by storm in 2021 has now reached Iowa high school sports.

Both the Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union confirmed on Wednesday that high school students may earn monetary compensation through the use of NIL, effective in 2022-23.

With this decision, Iowa becomes the 15th state in the country to approve the opportunity.

In a statement released by the IHSAA, “A student may earn compensation from the use of their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) consistent with current IHSAA regulations and provided:

n The compensation is not contingent on specific athletic performance or achievement (e.g., financial incentives based on points scored).

n The compensation (or prospective compensation) is not provided as an inducement to attend a particular school (“undue influence”) or to remain enrolled at a particular school.

n The compensation is not provided by the school or an agent of the school (e.g., booster club, foundation, etc.).”

NIL was instituted at the collegiate level nationwide last June, and has become a focal part of the decision-making process for athletes entering college.

“It’s crazy to think that it just hit the college market and now here we are with a set of guidelines for high school kids,” said Josh Porter, athletic and activities director at Fort Dodge Senior High. “You know with it being so new, I’m not sure how this is going to affect Fort Dodge or our local athletes. If you read through the rules, there’s still some pretty straightforward guidelines.

“I think the thing to remember is before anybody gets overly excited or starts doing anything, there’s information about making sure you contact an attorney or get some legal advice. These are pretty uncharted waters, so you’d hate for a kid to get into a position that hurts them down the road or keeps them from competing in athletics.

“I think ultimately we’re all going to learn on the go, and when a situation comes up, we’ll keep our students’ best interest in mind all the time.”

There are several guidelines that must be followed to seek compensation for NIL:

n The student should not use the IHSAA/IGHSAU or its member school marks or logos in any NIL activity.

n The student should not wear apparel or equipment which includes the IHSAA/IGHSAU logo or member school marks or logos in any NIL activity.

–Student should not reference the IHSAA/IGHSAU or member school name or mascot in any NIL activity.

–The student should not use a member school’s facilities in any NIL activity.

–The student should not promote activities nor products associated with the following: gaming/gambling; alcoholic beverages, tobacco, cannabis, or related products; banned or illegal substances; adult entertainment products or services; or weapons (e.g., firearms).

–The student and his/her family should seek guidance from his/her member school.

–The student and his/her family should seek their own legal counsel when considering any NIL activity.

–The student and his/her family should contact the NCAA, NJCAA, and/or NAIA to ensure any NIL activity does not jeopardize collegiate eligibility.

“NIL at the high school level, honestly, hasn’t even been on my radar,” said David Flattery, St. Edmond activities and athletics director. “I’m not sure what it means for us at this time. It’s interesting, though.

“We’ll just have to see how it plays out.”