Name, image, and likeness (NIL) has continued its takeover of amateur sports last Thursday as the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association's legislative council voted on the matter for the state of Tennessee high school athletes to be paid for NIL and the vote passed with a resounding 12-0 final count.
This measure will take effect immediately for all TSSAA athletes and they can begin earning money as independent entities.
However, with the way the rule is written, student-athletes will not be allowed to reference or endorse the school they play for and will not be paid for their performance within athletic competition.
What the student-athletes are permitted to receive payment for are opportunities like modeling, sponsorship deals, instructional services, etc.
This stipulation doesn't make a ton of sense when you think about how/why student athletes would be chosen to represent a specific brand or instructional service because the reason they're desirable is mainly based off of their high-level performance within athletic competition.
We'll see how this situation unfolds and how it works out in the long run but for now, it's a good time to be a student-athlete in the state of Tennessee.