It wasn't an official high school sports "state of the union" address, but it was close.
National Federation of State High School Associations Chief Executive Officer Dr.
Karissa Niehoff addressed concerns over NIL (name, image and likeness) issues and the rising boorish behavior of fans toward officials during an hour-long webinar Tuesday for members of the press.
The fourth-year leader of prep sports' national governing body didn't hold back on either topic, while also applauding this month's 50th anniversary and celebration of Title IX.
While the shortage of referees, somewhat due to poor fan behavior, drew an impassioned response, it was Niehoff's position on NIL that was of most interest.
The NFHS had not issued a position statement on the hot-button topic due to its federation standing — "we can not require states to have one uniform policy on this," she said — but Niehoff did not hold back in the organization's stance that "no student-athlete in a member school can become a professionally paid student athlete by virtue of their identity as a student-athlete in that school.
"While we recognize that high-school-age student-athletes have an ability to benefit from name, image and likeness, through contract relationships with a fiduciary acquisition, we are very clear that we do not support the situation that will include a state association school and their student-athlete entering into professionally paid contracts while representing that mentor school."
Nine schools permit NIL for student-athletes in high school: Alaska, California, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York and Utah.
But all state associations that have approved NIL policies prohibit student-athletes from receiving money in any form that is connected to wearing their school uniform.
That does not stop, for example, a
five-star quarterback like
Jaden Rashada of Pittsburg (Calif.) to sign a four-figure contract with AIR (Athletes in Recruitment), which sells a recruiting app.
Rashada, with more than 24,0000 social media followers, simply sends out social posts about the app. As a top recruit, Rashada's name carries considerable attention, whether he's wearing a bright orange Pittsburg jersey or not. He simply can't wear that uniform or helmet while promoting AIR's products.
At least that's California's rules and eight other states. The 41 other states don't allow any sort of athletic fame to lead to monetary deals, though that might be difficult to enforce.The NFHS doesn't appear to be as concerned with deals such as AIR and Rashada have worked out. It's where those deals may lead that concerns Niehoff.
"The purpose of high school athletics and performing arts is not to develop professional athletes," Niehoff said. "It's to develop kids. It's to develop life skills. It's to develop relationships. And the high school locker room is arguably the last kind of pure bastion of amateurism within an education-based setting. We want to protect that."
When asked what her singular greatest concern was concerning NIL, Niehoff discussed a "hot butter in a hot pan" spread of professional experts in the field, namely agents. She pointed to the college level "with this absolute pop up of (distractions) to young people and their families who are not necessarily well informed."
"At the high school level, I worry about the absolute breakdown of the culture and climate of a high school locker room. ... If we start to allow a high school person wearing their Friday Night Lights jersey to engage in a professional contract, now you've not only interrupted the dynamics of amateurism, but now the dynamics of the team. The school. The community.
"You have a child earning money because they are a public school student and a pretty good athlete. With that jersey on. It's extremely disruptive to the purpose of high school sports."
Protecting amateurism is one more of a concept, but protecting the physical health of game officials is quite real.
An upswing in assaults on officials have been reported throughout the country, dampening an already big effort to combat the shortage of referees.
The NFHS has spent the last four years on a campaign to raise the number of game officials, but during a recent national officials consortium, it was revealed boorish fan behavior — not pay or travel or even COVID-19 — is the biggest reason for lack of referee retention or growth.
"We're still hearing horrific examples and stories of officials being assaulted," Niehoff said. "A number of states have legislation. .... that specifically speaks to protecting officials from assault."
It's a problem, but Niehoff and her staff see it as even a bigger problem of simple decency. That's why the organization will push forward on a "behavior campaign," that will lead to a zero-tolerance policy.
"The term sportsmanship has been used a long time, but at this point it is a little watered down," Niehoff said. "It's a little tired. .... As we look at what's really going on in the contests, we know what's going on with officials, but if you look what's going on in the bleachers, look on the sidelines, look at just how people are treating each other? It's horrible, in many cases."
The behavior campaign, which will start in the fall, will "be a commitment to address poor behavior and not allow it to be normalized. We want to be clear and a little more edgy than we have in the past. We're going to do it. We must embrace a commitment to zero tolerance to bad behavior."
