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Athletic director: students may earn off their name but district must stay hands-off
Summary
Jennings County athletic director explained new state personal-branding rules for high school athletes, saying students must report deals within 48 hours, cannot use school branding or facilities (per current guidance), and the district will inform families.
The district's athletic director, Hartwell, briefed the board on the state's new personal-branding rules for high school athletes, often discussed as name-image-and-likeness (NIL) in college sports but referred to in the transcript as personal-branding activity (PBA). Hartwell said the district must "stay out of it altogether" under current guidance: student-athletes cannot use Jennings County branding, wear school uniforms in promotional material, or enter agreements that tie them to the school.
Hartwell described practical limits and the disclosure requirement: "if a kid were to... enter [an agreement] they had 48 hours to tell me in writing that they're entering this agreement," and warned about the risk of collectives attempting to influence player placement. Board members asked how the district will detect prohibited recruitment and facility use; Hartwell and staff said enforcement will be challenging, the rules may evolve, and the district will inform parents and monitor guidance from the state athletic association.
