The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) has approved an amendment to its handbook that will allow high school athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), but only after signing a National Letter of Intent.
The recently approved change will be in the organization’s handbook effective Saturday, July 1, 2023.
KY3 Sports and Ozarks Sports Zone contacted MSHSAA Communications Director Jason West.
West provided us with the following language from the new handbook.
By-Law 3.6, Amateurism and Benefits, outlines the requirements of amateurism and was amended on the 2023 Annual Ballot to speak to Name, Image, and Likeness. Â Likewise, during the 2023 Legislative Session, this topic was discussed and a new statute was passed that affects a small sub-group of Missouri secondary school student-athletes.
As per State Statute RSMo 173.280, a high school athlete shall have the right to earn or attempt to earn compensation from the use of such athlete’s name, image, likeness rights, or athletic reputation ONLY AFTER signing an athletic letter of intent (NLI*) or other written agreement to enroll in a postsecondary educational institution in the state of Missouri. Â
*This refers to the National Letter of Intent program, managed by the NCAA and with governance oversight provided by the Division I Collegiate Commissioners Association. Â There are very specific rules and regulations governing this program and the signing of the NLI. Â Written agreements through programs run by other collegiate athletic associations (NAIA/NJCAA) would meet this provision as well.
Therefore, all students must meet the specific provisions of By-Law 3.6, except for those who: 1) sign such an agreement for collegiate sport-specfic participation and 2) that agreement is with a Missouri college or university that is participating in the official NLI program or a like program that can be documented.
Other rules do apply for athletes wishing to profit from NIL. If an athlete meets the necessary criteria for NIL benefits, the MSHSAA Handbook states:
However, in the NIL Activity, the following may be utilized only with advanced approval by a school administrator: member school name, colors, nickname(s), mascot(s), logo(s), uniforms, etc.
A student may use his/her name, image or likeness (NIL) and receive a benefit (allowable or prohibited) if he/she is not representing a school, not representing or depicting the specific sport desired for amateurism, and is not through such use promoting his/her participation, fame or prowess in that particular sport.
In 2021, the NCAA approved a name, image, and likeness policy for Division I, Division II, and Division III athletes. Since then, more than two dozen other states have adopted similar policies for high school students.
