(Source MIRS.news, Published 05/28/2024) (MACKINAC ISLAND) Michigan State University (MSU) Athletic Director Alan Haller told panelists and audience members Tuesday he doesn’t believe high school students should be participating in name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation at this time, contrasting with legislation that passed the House last year.
“The revenue that's flowing through college athletics calls for it at this time, and that's not happening in the high schools,” Haller said. “So keeping that purely high school and amateur, I think, is really good moving forward.”
Haller spoke alongside a panel of big names in the MSU athletic program, moderated by House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit), to discuss how NIL and transfer portal changes have affected collegiate sports in the state.
Haller said that despite high schoolers not yet having access to NIL, the prospect of making money on their likeness is already having an impact on high school students.
“You can't pay recruits, but it has an impact on recruiting, has an impact on how high school students are looking at where they're going to spend the next four years of their time,” he said. “And so I think the more we can educate and be involved in those types of decision-making, is important.”
Michigan’s latest slate of NIL legislation, which was proposed back in 2023, includes Rep. Jimmie Wilson JR. (D-Ypsilanti)’s HB 4816, would establish the high school athlete version of NIL rules.
Also part of the package is Rep. Angela Witwer (D-Lansing)’s HB 4844, which would allow coaches and athletic department officials to advise student athletes about branding, financial literacy, contracting and marketing, but doesn’t let them act as agents or strike NIL deals for their players.
Both bills are currently awaiting action in a Senate committee.
The discussion Tuesday also included how to best support collegiate students beginning to profit from NIL, which MSU Women’s Basketball Head Coach Robyn Fralick said her team is addressing with educational sessions.
“There’s actually a lawyer and a financial advisor that comes in and communicates with our team,” she said, teaching athletes about opportunities from a contract and social media perspective, along with the financial and tax withholding piece.
Adam Nightingale, MSU men’s ice hockey head coach, said in addition to lawyers visiting the team, they’ve received help from donors with a background in financial advising.
Also posed by the crowd was a question about the feasibility of collegiate athletes profiting from NIL changes, and the potential of some collegiate sports teams being dissolved, like the MSU swim and dive team after the 2020-21 season.
Haller conceded that “things are changing,” and the way MSU and other universities like it will use their budgets will continue to change in the near future.
However, he added that balancing the university’s budget to prioritize making all teams and student athletes successful will continue to be important.
