What high school coaches, marketers are saying about NIL in Florida

The State Board of Education in Florida moved ahead Wednesday with a proposal to allow high school athletes to earn money for their personal brands.

Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals for high school athletes allow those students to get endorsements by promoting products

It's not just students, families and coaches watching the NIL decision closely but also the people who make the deals.

High School

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"For me, I knew it was going to be official," Jupiter Christian High School head football coach Baz Alfred said.

Alfred has been the head coach at Jupiter Christian for five years. In recent months, he's watched the NIL issue unfold.

"It's going to impact more of the programs that have more three, four, and five-star athletes," Alfred said.

While he doesn't predict a major impact on his football program, Alfred supports the new opportunity that is opening up for student-athletes.

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"These kids are going to get deals and offers that are way more than their head coaches," he said. "The football coaches do not get paid well."

Florida is now just one of a growing number of states to implement NIL.

Kevin Anderson, the CEO and Founder of Reach NIL, helps athletes and their families navigate this new world of high school and college athletics.

"We focus on career guidance and media guidance," Anderson said. "We're essentially a marketing firm, which is a big part of NIL."

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Anderson was a standout quarterback at Boca Raton High School and went on to play professionally.

"The big thing right now is digital marketing, specifically influencer marketing," Anderson said.

Alfred said the move to NIL has been in the works for some time.

"NIL has been going on for years," Alfred said. "It's just official now in the state of Florida."