PA high school athletes can now get paid following name, image and likeness approval

Matt Allibone, York Daily Record
·3 min read

High school athletes in Pennsylvania can now cash in on their name, image and likeness.

The PIAA approved a policy Wednesday allowing student-athletes to sign endorsement deals while still keeping their amateur status. The policy was passed by a 25-4 vote and will go into effect immediately.

Still, there are a number of restrictions in place. Student-athletes cannot sign name, image and likeness deals that involve the following:

  • Adult entertainment

  • Alcohol

  • Casinos, gambling, sports betting

  • Tobacco and electronic smoking

  • Opioids and prescription pharmaceuticals

  • Controlled dangerous substances

  • Weapons and ammunition

Also, students are not allowed to wear school apparel or team logos while participating in NIL activities. And they can't wear the logo of an NIL partner during school activities.

Laurel Highland quarterback Rodney Gallagher became the first Pennsylvania high school athlete to sign an NIL deal this Wednesday.
Laurel Highland quarterback Rodney Gallagher became the first Pennsylvania high school athlete to sign an NIL deal this Wednesday.

Anyone employed by or affiliated with a high school or its sports teams cannot help arrange an NIL deal with a student-athlete. That includes booster club members, coaches, school administrators and alumni.

Student-athletes who sign NIL deals must notify their school principal or athletic director within 72 hours of signing the contract.

The PIAA originally passed the first reading of its NIL policy this July. The organization had been considering a policy since college athletes became legally allowed to accept endorsement deals in 2021.

Dig deeper on name, image and likeness: What it means for high schools and could it be coming to PA?

Just over 20 states now allow high school student-athletes to sign NIL deals. That includes neighboring states New Jersey and New York. Ohio voted against a similar policy this summer.

In an interview with YDR this May, PIAA associate executive director Melissa Mertz said the organization was strongly considering passing an NIL policy because "we're seeing other states go in that direction." She said there was some concern from colleges like Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh that top athletes would move out of state and not be as recruitable if they could sign endorsements elsewhere.

"We don't want to deny our student-athletes opportunities that students in other states are getting," Mertz said. "The landscape has changed, and we need to have an open mind. The biggest hurdle is just wrapping our arms around a different philosophy of what we view interscholastic athletics to be."

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Laurel Highlands senior and West Virginia football commit Rodney Gallagher announced his first NIL deal Wednesday just a few hours after the PIAA passed its policy.

It remains to be seen if any student-athletes in the YAIAA sign NIL deals. Former Central York quarterback Beau Pribula, who is now a freshman at Penn State, announced a partnership with York-based Shipley Energy this October during his first season as a reserve player for the Nittany Lions.

Matt Allibone is a sports reporter for GameTimePA. He can be reached at 717-881-8221, mallibone@ydr.com or on Twitter at @bad2theallibone. 

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Name, image and likeness deals approved for PA high school athletes