The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Board of Directors has made an important decision affecting high school athletes statewide. On Monday, the board approved a measure allowing student-athletes to participate in personal branding activities, similar to name, image, and likeness (NIL) activities seen in college sports.
This decision allows student-athletes to benefit from activities such as social media promotions, personal appearances, and endorsements, as long as these are unrelated to their school athletic participation. The board approved the change with a 13-5 vote.
The IHSAA’s main concern was to ensure student-athletes keep their amateur status. The new guidelines state that athletes cannot perform athletic services or use their school affiliation or uniforms during personal branding activities.
This rule helps separate high school personal branding from the collegiate NIL model, where schools may play a direct role in compensation. The IHSAA has provided examples of acceptable activities for student-athletes:
- Tutoring
- Personal training
- Youth sports instructions
These activities are allowed if they offer reasonable compensation and do not use school branding or endorsements.
To protect the integrity of high school sports, the IHSAA has listed specific prohibitions. Student-athletes cannot endorse or participate in events related to:
- Gambling
- Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, or illegal drugs (including performance-enhancing drugs)
- Sexually explicit material
- Weapons, including firearms
The IHSAA uses the term Personal Branding Activities (PBA) to separate these high school activities from the college NIL model. IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig explained that this approach keeps high schools from arranging or funding deals for student-athletes.
This setup allows students to benefit independently from their school and supports the educational mission of high school athletics.
In another decision, the IHSAA Board voted 17-1 against adding a 35-second shot clock for boys and girls varsity basketball games. The Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) had proposed this change, which received mixed reactions.
A survey by the IBCA showed that 68% of 612 coaches supported the shot clock. However, only 24.4% of school administrators favored the change.
This difference in opinions likely influenced the board’s decision to reject the proposal. Currently, 32 states have adopted the shot clock for high school basketball.
Indiana will not join these states for now. The board remains cautious about making changes that could affect the structure and pace of high school basketball.
The IHSAA Board also considered other proposals. One proposal from the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association sought to add classifications to the boys and girls tennis tournaments.
This proposal was narrowly defeated with a 10-8 vote.
Future Implications
The IHSAA’s recent decisions show the organization’s commitment to adapting to changes in high school sports. At the same time, it aims to preserve its core values.
By allowing personal branding activities, the IHSAA is giving student-athletes new opportunities. These changes let students benefit from their talents and hard work.
The board is cautious about changes that could disrupt the traditional structure of high school sports. This is shown by the rejection of the shot clock proposal.
For more detailed information on the IHSAA Board’s decisions, you can read the full article here.
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