High school athletes in North Carolina are now permitted to profit off their name, image, and likeness after a Wake County judge signed an order on Monday 1014/24 requiring the State Board of Education to adopt its proposed permanent rules for NIL in high schools.

Nil stands for Name Image and Likeness which means being able to profit from their image or brand through endorsements, social media sponsorships, merchandise sales, and other business ventures. Nil might have a smaller impact than some think. It will let the big names in highschool to stay at public schools but other than that it won’t have a massive effect.

“It won’t have an impact…it will keep big names and power 5 caliber players at public schools” Green Level head basketball, John Green said.

In this view, NIL deals are unlikely to fundamentally change the high school sports landscape for most athletes, but it will provide additional reasons for star athletes to remain at public schools instead of transferring to private institutions for more freedom to pursue commercial opportunities.

North Carolina’s decision to allow NIL deals for high school athletes marks a significant step in the evolution in amateur sports. While it presents exciting opportunities for a small group of standout athletes. The real challenge will lie in managing the commercial and educational balance for student-athletes.