STEVENS POINT – This Morning, several Wisconsin’s Athletic Directors gathered in Stevens Point for the WIAA Annual Meeting. In addition, many different amendments were on the table to be passed after they all succeeded through the various WIAA committees earlier this year and last year.
389 Athletic Directors today participated in the voting process of all these amendments in Stevens Point at the Annual Meeting. Normally, there is 515 Athletic Directors that are a part of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association as there are 515 member schools.
WIAA Proposed Amendments
- 1. Allow Schools to use their resources/coaches to conduct developmental programming during the school year, outside the designated sport season for 8th grade and below students where it is prohibited for students in grades (9-12)
- (PASSED: 381-9)
2. Allow a school that believes the wrong player has been identified in an ejection, to send one, unedited video clip to assist in identifying the athlete who was to be ejected. (PASSED 387-1)
3. Would allow students to enter into Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for those activities not associated with their school team, school, conference or the WIAA. (FAILED 170-219)
BREAKING: The NIL motion has FAILED at the WIAA Annual Meeting 170-219. #WIAAWI #WIAA https://t.co/SIvZ2llKIW
— Matt Peck (@matt_peckwi) April 24, 2024
The NIL Discussion for WIAA High School Sports:
There were many different amendments on the table for today’s WIAA Annual Meeting. But the biggest one and most talked about was the discussion on to let High School Athlete’s work with companies for NIL Deals while not being associated with there school, conference or WIAA.
One big catch to many Athletic Directors around the State is it would have been there job to make sure that the NIL Deals were monitored and done correctly to avoid being penalized by the WIAA and making sure the NIL Deals have no affiliation with the school or the conference.
This was going to be a topic hard to pass this year because lots of questions were unanswered within how NIL would have worked and during the Annual Meeting before the Athletic Directors voted many were still unsure on how certain things would work and therefore many didn’t want to vote for an action they were unsure of.
Will NIL be brought up to the WIAA Again?
From, reading many different sources lots did not expect this measure to pass this year. But, heading into next school year more questions will be answered and lots more people will be monitoring if any addition to the 31 State Associations allow it starting soon.
This will likely end up at the 2025 WIAA Annual Meeting for another vote within all of the Athletic Directors around the State of Wisconsin.
ORIGINAL FOX6 NEWS INTERVIEW WITH WIAA EXECTUVIE DIRECTOR STEPHAINE HAUSER REGARDING NIL:
Last week, Stephanie Hauser the Executive Director of the WIAA sat down with FOX6 News’ Stephanie Grady and talked about the whole NIL Process.
Many people around this state did not even realize NIL was up for discussion the following week at the WIAA Annual Meeting as many twitter posts that shared this interview “blew up instantly”.
Currently, some people think NIL is a super important topic to bring up and others think that the association should be thinking of other topics like a Shot Clock for Basketball or Balanced Sectionals coming playoff time and even the seeding process too.
NEWS: The WIAA’s 515 Member Schools will vote to allow NIL next week Wednesday. #WIAA #wiaawi
-Currently, 31 other State Associations around the country allow it.
-If Passed, it will take effect at the End of May.https://t.co/bg9Hy0KjMF
— Matt Peck (@matt_peckwi) April 17, 2024
