On August 23, 2024, Rolanda Brandon filed a lawsuit on behalf of her son challenging the state of North Carolina’s ban on NIL for public high school athletes. Her son, Faizon Brandon, is currently committed to the University of Tennessee and is the number one overall ranked player for the 2026 class according to 247 Sports. His NIL valuation according to On3 is $567,000 and rising, so his ability to capitalize on that was being stifled by the state’s stance.
In April 2024, Brandon had received an offer from what the complaint called a “prominent national trading card company.” The agreement would allow Brandon to capitalize on his NIL potential until his December 2025 high school graduation date. In return, Brandon would sign memorabilia for the company. On June 6, 2024, the North Carolina Board of Education approved a temporary rule banning public high school athletes from receiving NIL compensation.
Judge Rules in Favor of NIL Compensation for NC High School Athletes
In May 2023, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association proposed a law that would allow for public high school student athletes to benefit from NIL deals. The proposal was set to take effect on July 1, 2023, but state politicians shut the proposal down a day after it was brought to light.
Athletes enrolled in North Carolina private schools have already been permitted to utilize their NIL rights. Faizon Brandon’s fellow Tennessee commit David Sanders Jr. attends Providence Day School and has a website dedicated to selling merchandise with his name and likeness on it.
On Tuesday, Wake County Superior Court Judge Graham Shirley ruled in favor of public high school athletes receiving NIL compensation. The ruling stemmed from the lawsuit which was brought forth by Rolanda Brandon back in August. North Carolina will now join 39 other states throughout the country that allow their public high school athletes to benefit from NIL agreements.
Final Thoughts
Over the last several years, NIL has come to the forefront of issues in collegiate athletics. With lawsuits across the country, it has now seeped into high school sports as well. Athletes and their families are pressing for the rights to capitalize on more income through NIL dealings. From clothing deals to memorabilia signings, the ability to make money on one’s name has become commonplace among all walks of life. Why should athletes at any level be different in that regard?
NIL is not a pay for play model the way many people believe it to be. It’s simply making a profit based on the value of the player’s name. Whether you like it or not, NIL is here to stay and it’s spreading across the country at the lower levels of amateurism now.
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