“We don’t want any athletes to be exploited”: WIAA to vote on high school Name, Image, and Likeness deals
GREEN BAY Wis. WFRV – More than 30 states allow high school student-athletes to receive name image and likeness deals, and Wisconsin may soon join them.
The WIAA will soon vote on the matter, Athletic Director Dillon Maney says the opportunity will allow students to learn more about the world of sports.
“It changes the landscape for student-athletes and what is out there for them, I think it also changes the landscape for athletic directors like myself and how they navigate that whole process,” explained Maney.
More than 500 members of the WIAA are expected to vote for the opportunity. WIAA Associate Director Mel Dow says students receiving deals must pay close attention to WIAA Guidelines.
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“We have restrictions within in our proposed language that limit what products student-athletes can endorse, very similar to what they have in their code of conduct they cannot promote drugs, alcohol, Tobacco, firearms so on and so forth, there are also restrictions are far as people associated with their respective schools and sports programs, so students athletes cannot engage in name image and likeness opportunities for boosters as well as coaches family members and so forth and so on,” stated Dow.
As WIAA Members prepare to vote, Maney encourages students and families to prioritize their education while playing sports.
“We don’t want any of our athletes here to be exploited, we don’t want any of our athletes to be taken advantage of, if they can receive a little something and this passes we understand that, but I think what you have to be careful of is if it gets out of control and the next thing you know we have school versus school, business versus business, it ends up being who can get the most money, the best athletes and I think we will be missing what we’re all here for and that’s what you have to be careful of,” said Maney.
The WIAA will vote on the matter on Wednesday, April 24th.
