Connecticut high school athletes may profit from name, image, likeness after CIAC policy change

A Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference policy allowing Connecticut high school athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness came to light this past week after the organization changed its amateur sports policy over the winter to reflect NIL language.

Connecticut joins 10 other states that allow their high school athletes to profit from NIL activities.

CIAC Executive Director Glenn Lungarini said the policy hadn’t changed much from the previous amateur sports policy.

“Our amateur policy didn’t include any language on NIL, so when NIL came out, we reviewed the policy and looked at it through the lens of NIL and included NIL language in it,” Lungarini said.

The policy change was reported on Twitter by Braly Keller, an NIL specialist for opendorse, a company that helps athletes maximize NIL potential value.

Connecticut high school athletes may retain agents or lawyers and may be involved in “commercial endorsements, promotional activities, social media presence and product or service advertisements,” according to the CIAC guidelines.

The athletes may not use the school’s name or logos, and no one employed by the schools may be involved in the athletes’ NIL activities except to enforce policy.

There are some restrictions; NIL activities involving adult entertainment, alcohol, tobacco or cannabis products, controlled substances, gambling or weapons are prohibited.

“Any kid entering into a name image and likeness sponsorship or contract should check with the CIAC and the NCAA to ensure that the agreement they’re entering into would not jeopardize their amateur status,” Lungarini said. “If you look at the NCAA’s policy, that’s what it says as well.”

Lungarini said since the policy has been in place, no state high school athlete has reached out to the CIAC for questions or clarification.

Bristol Central basketball star Donovan Clingan, the state Gatorade Player of the Year who is headed to UConn, would have been a likely candidate for NIL endorsements.

His father Bill’s reaction: “NIL in high school? I don’t know about that. I think once they reach a university it makes more sense.”

Bloomfield athletic director Tammy Schondelmayer wasn’t sure what to make of the policy.

“These kids have enough to worry about, and high school is hard enough,” she said. “Being able to do the things you have to do to be on the football field or in the classroom, get yourself ready for college, I feel like that’s enough and then to add this would distract them from the things a high school kid their age, under 18, should be worried about.

“The other side of it is a lot of the kids, if this was an opportunity for them to have some income of some sort, now they don’t feel like they have to go get a job in order to support themselves.”

Northwest Catholic boys basketball coach John Mirabello was a little shocked to hear about it.

“Wow,” he said, “I never even considered that. I’m just getting used to the college guys and all the mess it’s causing for them. I never thought it would get to high schools.”

Neither had heard of the policy change, though Lungarini said that the CIAC talked about the change with athletic directors on CIAC/AD Zoom calls and informed the Connecticut Association Athletic Directors’ Board of Directors.

Lungarini said when college athletes began to benefit from NIL, the CIAC felt that the high school organization should be out in front of the issue.

I think a lot of things that start in college filter their way down to high school,” Lungarini said. “Our high school kids, their world exists in the digital element and social media. We’re in a better position when we have guidelines and a policy to start from. If in the future something needs to be revised, it’s always better to do that than at the last minute when an issue or question comes up.

“We wanted to understand it and [ensure] that we are providing reasonable opportunities for our kids.”

Dom Amore contributed to this story.

Lori Riley can be reached at lriley@courant.com. Dom Amore can be reached at damore@courant.com.