A year after being voted down 219-170, WIAA schools voted 293-108 to approve name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes during an April vote. In addition, expansion to summer coach contact days were approved.

“I wasn’t surprised they both passed, but I kind of thought summer contact, maybe start that in 2026,” Prescott Activities Director Matt Smith said. “It was kind of late in the game with coaches already setting schedules, and parents with planning trips and kids with being busy, but I guess you just kind of pull off the Band-Aid and go with it.”

NIL is the right for someone to profit off their name, image and likeness. NIL has become the most discussed topic in college sports since it was approved in July 2021. Collegiate NIL is often referred to as the “Wild West,” with schools being backed by collectives and NIL incentives being used for recruiting. That is not what the WIAA is expected to look like, as students are not allowed to use the school’s logo or branding to make a profit.

An example of a high school NIL opportunity Smith mentioned would be hosting a football camp completely separate from the school and making a profit from it.

“It’s not the NCAA NIL. How much it will impact schools our size or around western Wisconsin is to be determined. I’m sure there will be some instances,” Smith said. “They cannot wear a Prescott jersey and make money off of that. Those rules will stay the same, but now they’re able to represent themselves.”

During a December River Falls Board of Education meeting, River Falls Activities Director David Crail mentioned there was some belief that if the WIAA did not approve NIL policies in the near future, the state legislature would step in and make their own policies.

“There would be strong evidence to support that that would be the case because there’s so many other states that already have it,” Crail said at the meeting. “I think the thought or fear of potential lawsuits by the state not having it is a driving force to say we have to have something.”

Smith said there are also restrictions dealing with businesses sponsoring students if they already sponsor the school.

“I really think it’s going to be a lot of learning for everyone as we first navigate this through,” Smith said. “I know we have great partnerships here with our local businesses, and I know they’re going to be supportive of what our options are.”

What WIAA NIL will look like in five years remains a mystery, but they plan to keep an eye on the policies as the years go by.

“The learning curve will take some time. I’m sure we’ll keep an eye on what other states are doing,” Smith said. “Within Wisconsin, I’m sure we’ll have some [schools] that are kind of the first that really get involved or have these opportunities, and it will be interesting their stories and how they share kind of what you can and can’t do.”

After years of strict guidelines limiting coach interaction with players during the summer months, a vote passed to allow coaches to meet their athletes from June 1-30 and July 7-31 without restrictions with the exception of football, where contact must stop a week prior to fall training.

“I think there’s pros and there’s cons to it,” Smith said. “From a pro standpoint, you get a student-athlete that, say they have a niche that they want to work on, say it’s pitching for baseball, and let’s say they don’t have the monetary means to go to a pitching specialist, to go out during the summer and get a pitching coach.”

On the flip side, Smith said students are encouraged to compete in multiple sports at Prescott, and worries that some may become overworked with weeks filled up with summer practices. He said it will be important for sports to work together to make plans that do not have students practicing all day every day, allowing time to have a summer job or rest up for the school year.