NCHSAA commissioner speaks on navigating NIL landscape

With Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) cleared for high school student-athletes since a judge’s ruling in October 2024, the North Carolina High School Athletics Association (NCHSAA) is trying to stay ahead of the game.

NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker is a former worked for the N.C. State women’s basketball program, where her responsibilities included assistant coaching and academic oversight. Before that, she was a coach in high school basketball and volleyball, winning coach of the year.

She recently spoke about the efforts of the NCHSAA to prepare student-athletes and their families for navigating NIL opportunities the right way.

A recent article from Spectrum News 1 detailed how the NCHSAA is handling NIL deals at the high school level. Below is an excerpt from the Spectrum News 1 story.

Since the October ruling, her office has been contacted by about 12 athletes regarding NIL deals, she said. One of the biggest pieces of advice she’s giving those athletes and their families — get an attorney.

For the most part, school athletic directors have done a good job at explaining things to student athletes and providing resources, but you also don’t want to give anyone any incorrect information, Tucker said.

“The language that’s in some of these deals is such that we’re not attorneys in this office. If you sign it and you’re under 18, does that make it null and void? We don’t know,” she said.

The main issue, she said, is potential student ineligibility next season should things go sideways. Or they may lose some NIL money.

Some lawmakers have commented on the fact that her office has been dealing with athletes and NIL. Tucker has countered, explaining she’s only ever directed her office to give the athletes the most resources they have, along with advising them to get an attorney, she said.

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“We were trying to get ahead of this, give them information, use their name, image and likeness because it belongs to them. It belongs to you. It belongs to me. That’s ours.” Tucker said. “But if you want to participate in our scholastic program and you want to continue to be a scholastic athlete, there are some things you need to do or not do.”

To read the full story from Spectrum News 1, click here.