High school sports bills run into hurdles at S.C. State House

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Georgia High School Association has approved rules to allow athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness, otherwise known as NIL.

More than 30 states have done the same, but at this point, South Carolina is not one of them.

Change happens, whether we like it or not.

But change, at times, can be controlled, even when it comes to young athletes’ NIL deals.

“We can’t do anything and get paid for it. You can’t work at camps. You can’t do anything wearing your school colors or use your school facilities and get paid,” said Fox Creek Athletic Director Derrick Quinn.

South Carolina state lawmakers were focused on steamrolling any chance of it happening soon.

Just this past spring, a bill was introduced prohibiting any use of name, image or likeness.

“They start recruiting and they start using this as a recruiting tool. I just think it’s gonna cause a wide range of problems. Now, I might be wrong. Now I’m not. I’m for kids making money. And maybe they got the ability to coach and to give lessons and stuff outside the school facilities. I’m all for it,” said Quinn.

For now, it’s tabled.

So is a twice-a-year transfer window without penalty — one in August and another in January.

While it could create problems, it does solve one.

“The worst thing I do as athletic director, if people want to come to our school, and I have to tell them the hard facts, that no, you’re not going to be eligible, you’re going to have to say out a year, if you’re going to be eligible, these are certain things you’re going to have to be able to do that it’s not fun for me,” said Quinn.

It’s a happy medium that’s hard to find.

The bill was introduced in mid-March and didn’t have the time to make it through the education committee.

But that’s not to say that it won’t be reintroduced next year when the session resumes in January.

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