Still in its infancy, NIL education remains at the forefront of the OSSAA’s goals

On Oct. 5, the Oklahoma Secondary Faculties Actions Affiliation launched pointers for athletes focused on profiting off their identify, picture and likeness (NIL).

In a one-page doc, the group revealed the parameters wherein student-athletes can earn compensation, offered that pay isn’t contingent on three issues:

Particular athletic efficiency.

Isn’t an incentive to enroll or stay enrolled at a particular faculty.

Not offered by the college or any particular person performing as an agent for the college.

Greater than a month later, nonetheless a number of burning questions stay.

within the first yr?With the rules being barely a month previous, the OSSAA’s high precedence this yr is to assist educate member faculties to correctly educate coaches, directors and student-athletes on what to anticipate with NIL.

“I’ve met with superintendents throughout the state which can be saying, ‘We have to perceive the implications, what do we have to do and the way do we have to assist our coaches,’” stated Bryan Bedford, who’s the CEO of Recruit Route and the Bedford Company, corporations devoted to educating student-athletes on NIL.

With the assistance of Bedford and Randy Eccker, the CEO of Eccker Sports activities, one other firm devoted to understanding NIL, the OSSAA is striving to spend the subsequent 12 months helping faculties within the state to higher perceive the ideas of identify, picture and likeness.

“This isn’t about having a heavy fist in being some big enforcement factor,” Bedford stated. “We actually need to practice individuals. We need to educate individuals. There’s a terrific alternative to study quite a bit.

“There’s nice life classes right here, about enterprise, entrepreneurship, branding and advertising. There are many nice issues that children can study from this. However like something, you wouldn’t simply hand a 16-year-old that hasn’t taken driver’s ed” keys to a automotive.

The group plans to prioritize and produce workshops and conferences to assist everybody at the highschool degree higher perceive the foundations in place.

Are student-athletes ?When the NIL pointers have been printed by the OSSAA in October, it wasn’t unusual to see student-athletes take to Twitter and different social media platforms to point out their curiosity in signing a deal.

“I feel there’s naturally some curiosity and intrigue,” Bedford stated.

Bedford stated Thursday he has acquired quite a few cellphone calls from households, coaches, directors, booster teams and advertising companies to higher perceive the foundations behind participating in NIL talks at the highschool degree because the guidelines have been handed.

“As soon as you actually begin to speak to folks, it turns into obvious that this isn’t some type of ‘fast buck’ sort of factor,” Bedford continued. “It received’t be proper for each particular person. Will probably be case-by-case. I feel it’s a reasonably small group that pursues this.”

Whereas there’s curiosity, gamers have had blended ideas on the laws. Through the Tulsa World’s highschool winter sports activities picture day, a questionnaire yielded that student-athletes confirmed each a scarcity of curiosity in trying to find offers and a few who have been at present energetic in searches.

“That being stated, there are college students already participating in what we might name identify, picture and likeness,” Bedford stated. “There are children which have massive social followings within the state of Oklahoma in numerous totally different capacities.”

What hurdles are nonetheless down the street?NIL has steadily advanced since being carried out on the faculty degree in 2021 — the bylaws have been revised thrice in a span of 15 months — the most important hurdle with Oklahoma’s NIL pointers might be how they evolve over the approaching years.

“The nice half about that is the OSSAA has two actually strong insurance policies that have been already current that faculties have been abiding and performing upon,” Bedford stated of the OSSAA’s Rule 5 and Rule 9.

The OSSAA’s Rule 5 offers handles issues with involving athlete amateurism, whereas Rule 9 focuses on recruiting for athletic functions.

“Once you speak about expertise shuffles, these two guidelines are in place to essentially stop motion and the bagman coming to maneuver a child to a distinct place,” Bedford stated.

On the faculty degree, NIL considerations have been initially tied to related points. Scholar-athletes would have the ability to freely transfer to a distinct faculty the place cash could possibly be extra available than at others.

However the opposite occurred with the NCAA. NIL has slightly unfold the wealth of expertise out.

Whereas it’s too early within the course of to see how NIL will have an effect on Oklahoma excessive faculties within the offseason, OSSAA affiliate director Mike Whaley stated it will likely be one thing they comply with.

“The evolution of it’s what’s regarding to us,” Whaley stated. “We’re involved that the NIL will have an effect on Rule 5 and Rule 9. If you wish to qualify this of the place our curiosity is at, that’s what our curiosity is at.”

The present OSSAA pointers — whereas broad — have been created that manner for evolution to naturally evolve over time. It’s just like how different states are going about crafting laws.

“They’re designed on objective to evolve,” Bedford stated.