Connect with us
https://yoursportsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/call-to-1.png

NIL

How NIL money reshaped NBA draft with fewer early entrants

Will Wade’s work building N.C. State into an immediate winner included the pursuit of an NBA draft entrant, just in case he returned to college. It wasn’t a huge risk. With all the cash flowing in college, the number of early entrants in the NBA draft has continued to shrink. This year’s draft starts Wednesday […]

Published

on


Will Wade’s work building N.C. State into an immediate winner included the pursuit of an NBA draft entrant, just in case he returned to college.

It wasn’t a huge risk. With all the cash flowing in college, the number of early entrants in the NBA draft has continued to shrink. This year’s draft starts Wednesday night with its lowest total of those prospects in at least 10 years.

“Now you can play the long game a little bit more,” Wade told The Associated Press, referring to how college players can look at their futures. “Look, I can get paid the same I would get paid in the G League, the same I would get paid on a two-way (contract). Some guys are getting first-round money.”

And more money is on the way.

It has been four years since college athletes were permitted to profit off the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), opening the door for athlete compensation that NCAA rules once forbade. July 1 marks the official start of revenue sharing, when schools can begin directly paying athletes after the $2.8 billion House antitrust settlement.

For Wade, that led to signing Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams after 247Sports’ fifth-ranked transfer withdrew from the draft.

“Basically now if you’re an early entry and you’re not a top-20, top-22 pick — where the money slots — you can pretty much make that in college,” the new Wolfpack coach said.

It’s all part of a seismic change that has rippled through college athletics since the pandemic, its impact touching the NBA. Players willing to “test the waters” in the draft before returning to school now have a lucrative option to consider against uncertain pro prospects.

And it shows in the numbers.

“With all the money that’s being thrown around in NIL, you’re having a lot less players put their names in,” Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said. “You’re having pretty good players pulling their names out.”

Declining number of early entrants

This year’s drop is significant compared with the years before anyone had heard of COVID-19. There was a spike of college players jumping into the draft in the pandemic’s aftermath, when they were granted a free year of eligibility to temporarily make even a fourth-year senior an “early” entrant.

But those numbers had fallen as those five-year players cycled out of college basketball, and they’re now below pre-pandemic levels. That decline coincides with NIL’s July 2021 arrival, from athletes doing paid appearances or social-media endorsements to boosters forming collectives offering NIL packages amounting to de facto salaries.

As a result:

  • Eighty-two players appeared on the NBA’s list of early entrants, primarily from American colleges with a smattering of other teams, down 49% from 2024 (162) and nearly 47% compared with the four-year average from 2016-19 (153.5).
  • Thirty-two remained after withdrawal deadlines, down from 62 last year and an average of 72 from 2016-19.
  • Adding international prospects, 109 players declared for the draft, down from 201 last year and a 205 average from 2016-19.
  • And only 46 remained, down from 77 in 2024 and 83.8 per year from 2016-19.

More college players weighing options

Duke coach Jon Scheyer understands draft dynamics, both for no-doubt headliners and prospects facing less clarity. He sees college athlete compensation as a “legitimate game changer.”

“Hopefully it allows players to decide what’s truly best for their game,” Scheyer told the AP. “It allows them to analyze: ‘Am I actually ready for this or not?’ Where money doesn’t have to be the deciding factor. Because if money’s the deciding factor, that’s why you see kids not stick. The NBA’s cutthroat.”

The Blue Devils are expected to have three players selected in the first round Wednesday: presumptive No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and top-10 prospects Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. They also had players sorting through draft decisions.

Freshman Isaiah Evans — a slender wing with explosive scoring potential — withdrew instead of chasing first-round status through the draft process. Incoming transfer Cedric Coward from Washington State rapidly rose draft boards after the combine and remained in the draft.

“There’s no substituting the money you’re going to make if you’re a top-15, top-20 pick,” said Scheyer, entering Year 4 as successor to retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski. “But if you’re not solidified as a first-round pick, why risk it when you can have a solid year and a chance to go up or be in the same position the following season?”

College compensation is reshaping the draft pool

Langdon, himself a former Duke first-rounder, sees that evolution too.

His Pistons made their first playoff appearance since 2019 but lack a first-round selection and own a single pick in Thursday’s second round. Fewer candidates could make the already imperfect science of drafting even trickier in this new reality.

According to the NBA’s 2024-25 rookie scale, a player drafted midway through the first round would make roughly $3.5 million in first-year salary. That figure drops to about $2.8 million at No. 20, $2.3 million at No. 25 and $2.1 million with the 30th and final first-round pick.

A minimum first-year NBA salary is roughly $1.2 million.

“These NIL packages are starting to get up to 3 to 4 to 5 to 6 million dollars,” Langdon said. “These guys are not going to put their name in to be the 25th pick, or even the 18th pick. They are going to go back to school in hopes of being a lottery pick next year.

“With that pool of players decreasing, it kind of decreases the odds of the level of player we get at No. 37, just the pure mathematics.”

Current NBA players offer insight

Indiana Pacers big man Thomas Bryant and Oklahoma City Thunder counterpart Isaiah Hartenstein, who both played in the seven-game NBA Finals that ended Sunday, illustrate Langdon’s point.

They were back-to-back second-rounders in 2017 — Bryant at No. 42, Hartenstein at 43 — pushed down a draft board featuring early-entry college players in 33 of the 41 picks before them.

Bryant played two college seasons at Indiana before stints with five NBA teams, including the Denver Nuggets’ 2023 championship squad. Would the ability to make college money have changed his journey?

“To be honest, I see it from both sides,” Bryant said. “If you’re not going to get drafted, you understand that a kid needs money to live in college and everything. So I understand where they’re coming from on that end.

“But for me, I took the chance. I bet on myself and I believed in myself, and I worked to the very end. And the thing about me is that if I went down, I was going down swinging. I hang my hat on that. For some, it might not be the same case.”

The American-born Hartenstein moved to Germany at 11 and played in Lithuania before being drafted. As he put it: “Everyone’s journey is different.”

“You should have the right people around you to kind of guide you,” said Hartenstein, a newly minted NBA champion. “I mean, I was lucky that my dad, who was a professional before, kind of guided me. Depending on your circumstances, it’s hard to turn down guaranteed money. If there’s an opportunity to get in a good situation in the NBA, you do that. But it’s a hard decision.”

College can be more of an allure

At N.C. State, Wade’s pitch to Williams included a leading role and a shot at boosting his draft stock.

The 6-foot-6 junior averaged 15.1 points with multiple big NCAA Tournament performances as the Red Raiders reached the Elite Eight, nearly beating eventual champion Florida.

“He was most likely going to be a second-round draft pick, and his package here is better than probably he would’ve gotten as a second-round pick,” Wade said. “We certainly talked about that. We went over that. We went over the math of everything. We went over the plan on how to accomplish that.”

That’s not to say it’s easy at the college level in this new landscape. Roster management is tricky, including a balancing act of maintaining financial resources to potentially land one player while risking missing out on others.

“It’s the way life works; it’s the way it should work,” Wade said. “If there’s no risk, there’s no reward. The riskiest players, in terms of waiting on the money and waiting them out, are the best players. That’s why they’re in the draft process. We’re not going to be scared of that.”

Nor should he, not with the allure of campus life these days.

AP’s Tim Reynolds and Larry Lage contributed.

Originally Published:



Link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NIL

Deion Sanders jokes about Googling health issues: ‘You gon’ die dawg’

Deion Sanders revealed he was cured of bladder cancer Monday and the Colorado coach can make a little light of the situation at this point. He even joked about a Google search when he looked up his symptoms and what could happen. Basically, Sanders won’t exactly Google a health issue again, especially one of this […]

Published

on


Deion Sanders revealed he was cured of bladder cancer Monday and the Colorado coach can make a little light of the situation at this point. He even joked about a Google search when he looked up his symptoms and what could happen.

Basically, Sanders won’t exactly Google a health issue again, especially one of this magnitude. Coach Prime was very thankful to his doctors and supporters and pleaded for others to get checkups. Heck, he even made a will because he thought this could be it.

Safe to say, the Google search could’ve accelerated those fears. Although, Sanders did joke about it a bit, just to remove any tension during his press conference.

“Well, the initial thing you do is what we all do. We Google, and that’s the wrong thing to do, because they tell you, ‘you gon’ die dawg,’” Sanders said, talking next to Dr. Janet Kukreja. “I mean, like they pretty much say that when you Google it and you don’t want to see that mess, whoever doing Google, you may want to change it up, because that ain’t the thing to look at when you’re going through what I went through. Like, ‘you got about 30 days, man,’ like, that’s the way it seems like it’s talking to you, and you don’t want that. 

“And, you know you gotta, that’s why you gotta rely on your faith. You gotta rely on your faith and these wonderful people that’s telling you the truth. Like dog, shoot it straight. You know, when they start turning their head to the side, it’s getting ready to come. You know, it’s real. But she never falsified anything. She told me what was 100 and never said, ‘Well, you should do this. You should do that.’ She just explained everything to me so that I can make the decision that I felt like I needed to make for me and my family.”

Sanders acknowledged that “God is good” over and over and was truly thankful for all those around him. After this harrowing ordeal, he’s certainly ready to fully get back to football.

Sanders is getting ready for his third season at Colorado after leading the Buffs’ impressive turnaround in 2024. The program went 8-5 one year after a 4-8 record, making it to the Alamo Bowl. However, star players Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are off to the NFL, meaning CU will have a new-look roster in 2025.

Coach Prime pointed out the impact of losing its quarterback and Heisman Trophy-winning two-way threat. That said, he thinks the rest of the group has a chance to be even better this season.

“They were great players. We have a better team,” Sanders said during an appearance on ESPN at Big 12 Media Days. “There’s a difference between great players and a great team. We have a better team, but we can never replace those type of players.”



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Joel Klatt ranks Top 10 players in college football entering 2025 season

Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt ranked the Top 10 players in college football ahead of the 2025 college football season. Some programs even have multiple players on this list! Skill guys, linemen, you name it! Klatt scoured across college football to find the 10 best players across the sport going into the fall. Without further ado, […]

Published

on


Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt ranked the Top 10 players in college football ahead of the 2025 college football season. Some programs even have multiple players on this list!

Skill guys, linemen, you name it! Klatt scoured across college football to find the 10 best players across the sport going into the fall.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the best players in college football. We start in the Big Ten!

Smith broke out as a freshman and even before he stepped on a college football field, people knew he was special. He helped Ohio State capture last year’s national championship and look to add at least one more before he heads to the 2027 NFL Draft.

Last year, Smith reeled in 76 catches for 1,315 yards, 15 touchdowns and 17.3 yards per catch. He’ll be in Heisman discussions this season.

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs
© Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Disp / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The second best player in college football is Smith’s teammate, Caleb Downs. Downs transferred in from Alabama last season after a standout freshman year in 2023.

Klatt already pegged him as the best defensive back in the game with his coverage skills and tackling ability. He was NFL-ready last year, but could be a top 10 pick by the time spring rolls around.

Klubnik had the best year of his college football career in 2024. Klatt has him No. 3 overall and the top QB in the nation.

It took him a few years, but the Clemson signal caller really slinged it last season, helping the Tigers win the ACC and get to the CFP. He threw 36 touchdowns, just six picks and had nearly 3,700 yards.

Manning is already in the top five college football players per Klatt. He had limited action in terms of starting under center, but he has the tools.

It’s just about Manning proving it over the course of a full season with a team that has national title expectations. If he does just that, he might skyrocket to the top spot and maybe actually go to the 2026 NFL Draft, rather than play another year at Texas.

Alabama WR Ryan Williams
Alabama WR Ryan Williams (William McLelland / Imagn Images)

If Smith is the best wide receiver in college football then Williams is a close second. Also only a sophomore, Williams’ breakout came against Georgia last season.

So not only did people obsess over his skill, they did the same with his age considering he was playing college football at 17. Insane. Anyway, Williams finished his freshman year with 48 catches, 865 yards, eight touchdowns and 18 yards per catch.

The best running back in college football comes from Notre Dame. Love helped the Fighting Irish get to the College Football Playoff national championship last season and will certainly be in the Heisman conversation this fall.

As a sophomore, Love got more than double the work as a freshman. He had 163 carries for 1,125 yards, 17 touchdowns and 6.9 yards per catch.

Hill Jr. is a menace on defense and could be key to the Longhorns winning a national title this year. Going into Year 3, he’s poised for a career year.

One of the best, if not the best, linebacker in college football, Hill really stood out through 16 games last season. He had 113 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, eight sacks, an interception, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass deflection.

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Parker is the second of three Clemson players on Klatt’s top 10 college football players. The EDGE rusher might have a banner year with a teammate who we’ll get to in a second. 

Parker was a menace in the backfield last season, logging 20 tackles for loss. He had 57 total tackles and 11 sacks to go along with six forced fumbles as well.

Proctor was dubbed the best offensive lineman in college football per Klatt. The Alabama offensive tackle will be key to the Crimson Tide offense.

Ty Simpson is the projected starting QB and Proctor will have to showcase his freakish abilities to protect him. That could turn him into a high first round pick this spring!

We already broke down Parker on the Clemson defensive line, so here’s another stud defender in college football. Woods will plug up the middle of the line to stuff the run and be able to rush the passer.

Last season, Woods logged 28 total tackles, but nine tackles for loss and three sacks. Expect some gaudier numbers this coming season.



Link

Continue Reading

NIL

Trump Executive Order Aims to Preserve Amateurism in College Sports

On July 24, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled, “Saving College Sports,” aimed at preserving athletic opportunities and preventing college athletes from being classified as professional employees. The order directs his Cabinet to develop a plan within 30 days to achieve these goals. Key Highlights of the Executive Order Scholarship Guidelines for […]

Published

on

Trump Executive Order Aims to Preserve Amateurism in College Sports

On July 24, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled, “Saving College Sports,” aimed at preserving athletic opportunities and preventing college athletes from being classified as professional employees. The order directs his Cabinet to develop a plan within 30 days to achieve these goals.

Key Highlights of the Executive Order

  • Scholarship Guidelines for Based on Revenue: Schools with athletic department annual revenues over $125 million must increase scholarships for non-revenue sports. Those earning at least $50 million must maintain existing scholarship levels.
  • Ban on Pay-for-Play: The order prohibits “third-party, pay-for-play payments” that function as direct compensation for athletic performance, while still allowing fair-market Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals.
  • Federal Oversight: The Secretary of Education is empowered to ensure federal funding to ensure schools comply with these policies.

The NIL Debate and NCAA Challenges

The NCAA has long banned direct “pay-for-play,” but the rise of NIL deals has complicated enforcement efforts While these deals were intended to reward athletes for legitimate endorsements, critics argue they’ve become de facto salaries, undermining the NCAA’s ability to reinforce its rues.  

Legal and Legislative Challenges to Amateurism

The NCAA’s long-standing model has been significantly weakened by a series of legal challenges and state laws. While the House v. NCAA is seen by many as a win for athletes, it also further blurred the lines between amateur and professional.

President’s Trump’s new executive order has drawn criticism from some who argue that presidential intervention is unnecessary and detrimental to athletes’ newfound ability to make their own deals.

However, NCAA President Charlie Baker and other college sports leaders contend that federal assistance is crucial to maintaining competitive balance. Following the House settlement, which was rooted in anti-trust claims, they’re calling on Congress to grant an antitrust exemption. They argue that without federal backing, it will be nearly impossible to enforce rules that protect competitive equity while allowing athletes to earn.

While the executive order itself cannot grant such an exemption, a bill granting broad antitrust leeway to the NCAA has passed through two House committees and could be up for a full vote in September.

The Employee Debate Intensifies

The executive order also addresses the question of whether college athletes should be classified as employees. It directs the Secretary of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board to clarify college athletes’ employment status in a way that prioritizes educational benefits.

The question of whether college athletes should be classified as employees remains highly contentious. College sports leaders strongly oppose this classification. They fear that such a shift would financially cripple many athletic programs and argue that most athletes do not wish to be employees.

But the legal landscape is shifting. In the ongoing federal case, Johnson v. NCAA, plaintiffs argue that athletes should be considered employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Some football coaches are even advocating for this model, suggesting that treating athletes as employees, with structured salary caps, could bring more stability to the increasingly commercialized college sports system.

Given the complexity and potential long-term impacts of these developments, it may be wise to consult with an attorney experienced in sports law or NIL matters before making decisions related to contracts, eligibility, or employment status.

[View source.]

Continue Reading

NIL

Soccer phenom, 14, making US national team debut already has NIL deal

She may not have yet started the ninth grade, but 14-year-old Loradana Paletta is already aiming high ahead of her first tournament with the U.S. Women’s National Team’s Under-17s 18:58 ET, 28 Jul 2025Updated 18:58 ET, 28 Jul 2025 UDEN, NETHERLANDS – JUNE 13: Emila Pauls of Germany (L) and Loradana Paletta of USA compete […]

Published

on

Soccer phenom, 14, making US national team debut already has NIL deal

She may not have yet started the ninth grade, but 14-year-old Loradana Paletta is already aiming high ahead of her first tournament with the U.S. Women’s National Team’s Under-17s

UDEN, NETHERLANDS – JUNE 13: Emila Pauls of Germany (L) and Loradana Paletta of USA compete during the U16 Junior Girls friendly match between USA and Germany at Sportpark Parkzicht on June 13, 2025 in Uden, Netherlands. (Photo by Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images for DFB)(Image: Photo by Juergen Schwarz/Getty Images for DFB)

The future appears bright for the US Women’s National Team, which most recently beat Canada 3-0, with 14-year-old Loradana Paletta already causing a storm.

The young midfielder recently became the first athlete to sign a name, image and likeness deal with Italian sportswear brand Lotto ahead of joining the USWNT’s Under-17s at the Four Nations Tournament, where the soccer starlet will have the opportunity to play against Mexico, Canada, and Costa Rica.

Article continues below

“I’m honored to be the first NIL partner for such an iconic soccer brand like Lotto,” Paletta said, via Fashion Network.

Article continues below

READ MORE: Son Heung-min in ‘advancing’ MLS transfer talks with $40 million expectationREAD MORE: USMNT star’s agent lashes out at Juventus as transfer hangs in the balance

“As I continue to develop my game, having gear I trust makes a huge difference — Lotto’s Solista and Stadio cleats give me confidence and comfort every time I step on the field.

“I’m excited to help grow the brand in the U.S. alongside amazing athletes like Sofia [Huerta], Kellyn [Acosta], Tim [Parker], and Stu [Holden]. Off the field, I also love Lotto’s lifestyle pieces—especially the Brasil Select shoes and their unique, stylish apparel. Everything I wear from Lotto stands out and lets me express who I am, and I am so excited to be their partner.”

Jameel Spencer of Lotto’s parent company, WHP Global, said that “Paletta is everything Lotto stands for. Fearless, authentic, and driven by passion.

“She’s a dynamic leader on the pitch and rewriting the story for young female athletes in this country, and we’re proud to be a part of that. Her energy and attitude mirror our DNA, and she’s already leading the next generation by example.”

Heading into ninth grade, for Paletta, playing against others above her age bracket is nothing new to the New York City FC boys’ Under-14s star, however, with a year playing for the U.S. Under-16s already to her name.

“My dad always put me in teams with boys since I was little, even if they were two or three years older than me,” she told the New York Post, going on to add, “I always had a passion — I wanted to be better than them…playing with the boys makes me stronger.”

Emma Hayes speaking with reporters
Paletta is hoping to eventually reach Emma Hayes’ USWNT(Image: Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

Playing against boys is something she’s had to do since day one, thanks to her brothers Gianluca, 17, and 15-year-old Leonardo, who plays for NYCFC’s Under-18s, both of whom she said “really toughen me up, and just really make me a better version of myself. I can be a leader around them.”

Article continues below

Paletta added that her brothers “motivate me,” explaining, “They’re always there for me whenever I need them, especially when it comes to soccer. They would always pull me and go out to the field. It’s just nice to have big brothers there to support me.”

Looking ahead to the tournament, whilst admitting that she was initially “really happy, excited, terrified, nervous,” Paletta said that playing for her country has “always been a dream,” noting that she hopes this can act as a stepping stone to much more down the line.

“I really want to make the U-17 World Cup roster, which is coming up soon,” she said. “For long-term goals, definitely the [senior] World Cup — winning gold.” While the 2027 World Cup in Brazil could come too soon for Paletta to push for a roster spot under head coach Emma Hayes, the tournament is set to head to the U.S. and Mexico in 2031.

Continue Reading

NIL

Wisconsin Badgers not letting money from NIL, revenue sharing divide football locker room

Wisconsin Badgers football players are making real money now thanks to the revenue sharing agreement that went into place July 1, plus ongoing NIL deals. Some have nicer cars or accessories than others, but the players aren’t letting financial differences divide them in the locker room. “I couldn’t tell you what a single person makes,” […]

Published

on

Wisconsin Badgers not letting money from NIL, revenue sharing divide football locker room

Wisconsin Badgers football players are making real money now thanks to the revenue sharing agreement that went into place July 1, plus ongoing NIL deals.

Some have nicer cars or accessories than others, but the players aren’t letting financial differences divide them in the locker room.

“I couldn’t tell you what a single person makes,” left guard Joe Brunner said Monday. “You can kinda guess based on last year and how they performed, but I couldn’t give you a single number on anyone.”

Brunner said the money conversation doesn’t come up much between players. Players negotiated their deals before practices began, so everything is already set when they get into the locker room.

To him, all that matters is the work that teammates are putting in, day in and day out.

“I want to keep it that way,” Brunner said. “I don’t care what they make. As long as you’re going out there and you’re playing your absolute hardest, that’s all that matters.”

Building that culture was all about players and coaches being intentional about strengthening relationships.

Spending more time together and getting to know each other better helps them understand their shared goals that go beyond financial compensation.

“A huge part of that was getting out of the facility and hanging out with guys,” Brunner said. “Because then you get to know guys and you don’t care what they’re making. You’re all playing for the Motion W, and I think guys understand that.”

Outside linebacker Darryl Peterson said the same is true on defense.

Players still notice when someone makes a big purchase, but it doesn’t define their relationships on and off the field.

“I think we’ve got a bunch of humble guys,” Peterson said. I don’t know how many times I’ve talked about money in the locker room. Obviously, we’re making a bunch of it, throughout the team, but we’ve got a bunch of guys who don’t talk about that much and keep that to themselves.”

It’s becoming a more important issue across college football. Maryland head coach Mike Locksley felt it divide his locker room last year between haves and have nots.

It sounds like the Badgers are being intentional about not letting that happen in Madison.

Continue Reading

NIL

New school year brings new high school sports seasons with plenty of changes

WISCONSIN (Civic Media) – As the calendar turns to August, it marks the start of a new school year, and in turn, new high school sports seasons for 2025-26. In Wisconsin, the first high school sports action is the beginning of football practices on Aug. 5. The rest of the WIAA-sponsored fall sports get underway […]

Published

on


WISCONSIN (Civic Media) – As the calendar turns to August, it marks the start of a new school year, and in turn, new high school sports seasons for 2025-26.

In Wisconsin, the first high school sports action is the beginning of football practices on Aug. 5. The rest of the WIAA-sponsored fall sports get underway by mid-August, with competition beginning as early as Aug. 14 (girls golf).

With the new school year, there are plenty of changes to sports on tap for the 2025-26 season. Here are a few of the most notable impacts to high school sports as a whole in Wisconsin, as well as individual sport changes.

Mel Dow speaks at the 2024 WIAA Annual Meeting.
WIAA executive Mel Dow speaks at the 2024 WIAA Annual Meeting.

Name, Image, and Likeness

Perhaps the biggest change to high school sports in Wisconsin — and one of the most misunderstood changes — is the introduction of name, image, and likeness policy to the WIAA.

NIL, which was one of four constitutional amendments approved by school administrators around the state at April’s WIAA Annual Meeting, comes as nearly every state has passed some regulation about amateur eligibility and NIL in the past few years, with Wisconsin being one of the last handful to approve an NIL rule.

High school NIL opportunities in Wisconsin are much different than what is available to NCAA college athletes, and also different than what is available in other states.

The new NIL rules note several ways in which deals must be executed in order to preserve amateur eligibility. NIL appearances can’t involve any school, conference, or WIAA mentions, uniforms, or logos. That’s one key difference from NCAA rules.

Another difference is that high school students can’t endorse products that are age-inappropriate, such as tobacco, alcohol, gambling, firearms, or adult entertainment, to name a few.

High school students also can’t have an agent or other professional representation to make NIL deals, and anyone associated with a school program can’t act as a facilitator for deals. That’s a big departure from the NCAA rules that allow for agent representation.

One area where the WIAA rule and the NCAA rule are in agreement on: So-called “pay for play” practices are illegal. That means student-athletes can’t enter into NIL deals that reward athletic performance, influence a student to transfer or remain in a particular school, or are otherwise contingent on player or team achievements.

Other restrictions on high school student-athletes include hosting and running their own camps or clinics, school-based activities for NIL-related activities, or missing class to participate in an NIL-related activity.

The WIAA’s constitutional amendment change also doesn’t forbid individual schools from adding additional requirements for NIL.

One major component of the new rule is the clause that people associated with the school can’t contribute to NIL deals. The list is long, but it includes parents of other student-athletes, coaches, school staff, volunteers, or anyone that takes part in any activity at the student’s school.

A more cumbersome list of people considered associated with the school includes former coaches or staff members during the student’s tenure in the district, any person, business, or organization that has contributed financially or materially to a school, or booster clubs. Wisconsin’s rule on personal association with a school is considered to be much more restrictive than what other states have in place for NIL.

WIAA membership easily passed the rule at April’s meeting. The same amendment was considered in 2024, where it failed 170 to 219. It easily passed 293 to 108 in 2025.

The WIAA is now requiring fans ejected from games to take a course in sportsmanship from the NFHS in order to return to attending events.
The WIAA is now requiring fans ejected from games to take a course in sportsmanship from the NFHS in order to return to attending events.

New sportsmanship rule

Before this spring’s rule change, anyone ejected from a game had to miss one additional home game, a rule the WIAA member schools adopted in 2021.

Now, ejected spectators have an additional requirement to satisfy before being allowed to return to attending events. WIAA membership easily approved the measure at the 2025 WIAA Annual Meeting by a 335 to 67 margin.

The new rule, which passed each stage unanimously before being approved by administrators statewide, requires anyone tossed from a game or meet to take a free online course from the NFHS on sportsmanship. Spectators ejected from a contest would still have to miss one additional home event, even if they take and pass the course before the next event.

Fan behavior has been an important topic, especially in the age of declining participation by students, officials, and coaches, who all cite unruly behavior as one of the drawbacks towards taking part in high school athletics. In 2019, a bill was introduced to make harassing sports officials a crime. the bill was brought back in 2021.

A random assortment of football practice equipment, including pads.
A random assortment of football practice equipment, including pads.

Expanded summer coaching contact

One change has already happened and was in place for this past summer. For the first time, expanded coaching contact was allowed, meaning that instead of only five summer coaching contact days, coaches could now work with student-athletes for all of June and part of July without the five-day restriction.

The rule allows for unrestricted coaching contact days during the summer except July 1 to July 7 for the Independence Day holiday, as well as the seven days leading up to the first day of football practice, known colloquially as the “dead week.” Football is further restricted in not allowing fully-padded summer practices. Student-athletes are restricted to helmets and shoulder pads only after heat acclimation.

In neighboring states, Illinois schools voted to trim summer coaching contact days from 25 to 20. Minnesota allows varying levels of coaching contact days during the summer, but football is limited to 11 practices, four of which can be full contact. Iowa already allows unrestricted summer contact.

Per NFHS rules, all summer coaching contact can’t be mandatory – student-athletes can choose whether to participate.

Waunakee plays DeForest in a 2019 high school football game.
Waunakee plays DeForest in a 2019 high school football game.

Football playoff qualification overhauled

Football is the most-participated-in sport in Wisconsin by student-athletes, and this year will be historic in that there are major changes to the postseason qualification structure for the sport.

A proposal by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association to change playoff qualification to a transparent wins-based metric was approved by a 10-1 vote. The approved proposal means that high school football playoff qualification will change from winning over 50% of conference games to a win-based formula against all opponents.

It also means that seeding and regional grouping in the postseason will be done by the metric, as opposed to the current computer algorithm that is unknown to coaches. The lack of transparency frustrated coaches after some questionable seeding in recent playoff fields. The measure to change how regional groupings are done passed with an 8-3 vote.

A third major decision expanded the field for 8-player football playoffs to 32 teams. The change also moves the season start date to line up with 11-player football. 8-player football will still play eight regular-season games, with five weeks of playoffs culminating in a championship game played in Wisconsin Rapids. The change was approved unanimously.


READ MORE: WIAA approves high school football playoff changes beginning with 2025 season

READ MORE: Proposal to overhaul prep football playoff system receives overwhelming support from coaches

READ MORE: Wisconsin coaches, officials address challenges in playoff qualifying system for high school football

WATCH/LISTEN: Jesse Norris explains the details of the WFCA’s proposal on The Dom Salvia Show

WATCH/LISTEN: Brian Kaminski reveals that the WFCA’s survey shows overwhelming support from coaches and explains what is next for the proposal on The Maggie Daun Show


Changes for other fall sports

Some of the other changes for this year include seven new rules for tennis, with the majority of those changes for seeding at subsectionals. The rules for tennis were also changed to include a minimum match requirement, banning smart watches or electronic communication devices from play, and adjusting the tournament schedule to account for Memorial Day.

Volleyball will see two changes affecting the state tournament. One change is increasing the number of students in uniform from 15 to 18. The other is criteria for who is the home team at neutral sites.

In golf, practicing at a regional tournament site during the regular season on non-school days is now allowed. Finally, in cross country, language was changed to match track and field rules for permitted headgear.

A rule to exclude cross country from the Tournament Performance Factor failed at the WIAA Annual Meeting.

The 2019 WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament in Green Bay, Wis. (Resch Center).
The 2019 WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament in Green Bay, Wis. (Resch Center).

Postseason changes coming for wrestling, basketball

Winter sports also will see some significant changes, while basketball’s hottest topics failed to advance for a vote.

In wrestling, the state tournament series is being completely redone. The individual regional tournament is now gone, replaced by an expanded team sectional on the calendar. The expanded sectionals are part of the biggest changes for the sport. Updates to the girls wrestling tournament were also made as part of the change in tournament structures.

For basketball, some of the bigger changes proposed were voted down before they could be considered by the WIAA Board of Control. That includes implementing a shot clock, which has been done by most states, as well as expanding the state tournament.

The changes that did get approved for basketball address the electronic seeding process in efforts to make it more transparent, flexibility with tournament scheduling on weekends, and the ability to switch home and away uniforms with mutual consent up to three times per season.

Transgender participation

Following changes to federal law in February, the WIAA updated its policy and now bans transgender student-athletes from competing in girls sports.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning anyone assigned male at birth from competing in girls or women’s sports. The federal directive essentially reverted Title IX requirements to what they were during the first Trump administration, last updated in 2020, doing away with changes made by former President Joe Biden.

The NCAA made a similar decision in updating its transgender student-athlete policy following federal guidance.

A high school football field in Boscobel, Wis. in 2025.
A high school football field in Boscobel, Wis. in 2025.

The start of a new sports calendar year

High school sports begin officially on Aug. 5, when football programs can hold their first practices.

Golf, tennis, and swimming and diving can begin practices the following week, while cross country, volleyball, and soccer are the final fall sports to get underway on Aug. 18.

The first high school sports competitions can be held on Aug. 14 with girls golf, followed by girls tennis on Aug. 16. Swimming and diving can begin their meets on Aug. 20, and the earliest date for high school football is Aug. 21. All remaining sports can begin competing on Aug. 26.

Fall sports typically run through October or November, culminating with the high school football state finals the week before thanksgiving. Winter sports practices begin in late October or November and last until February or March. Spring sports get underway in late February or March and run well into June.

You can view specific start dates and tournament series dates on the WIAA website.





Link

Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending