MHSAA/MAC bringing NIL education to high school coaches throughout Mississippi

The Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA), in conjunction with the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC), announced today that it has partnered with Eccker Sports to provide educational services and resources to help all high school coaches, administrators, student-athletes and their families navigate the challenges that Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) concepts are bringing to high school sports.

The disruption of NIL has quickly thrown high school athletics into unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory. Lack of education and resources has been cited by many, including the NFL Players Association, as a primary reason high school student-athletes and their families are vulnerable to trouble. Jointly, the MHSAA and MAC have taken a proactive step to help solve the problem.

“The topic of NIL comes up weekly with parents and schools that are being contacted about possible deals,” MHSAA Executive Director Rickey Neaves said. “The fact is, everything is so new, nobody really knows about it, which is exactly why we need education. We want to make sure our schools, the coaches and the parents have the resources they need to make the proper decisions and not jeopardize anyone’s eligibility. Eccker Sports is going to provide that for us. Mississippi doesn’t have NIL for high school students, that’s where we felt the education part of this would be the best place to start.”

The fragmentation in high school sports across the country adds layers of complexity to an already challenging NIL environment. For example, there are currently 12 states that have laws permitting athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness, 13 states (including Washington D.C.) are considering adopting new laws, while 26 states prohibit it altogether. Add in all the different school bylaws for high school and college eligibility and you have a situation prone for mistakes.

“We all know Mississippi does not allow NIL to happen for high schools, and may never, but that doesn’t make the issue any less important,” Eccker Sports co-founder and CCO Tim Prukop said. “There are a lot of athletes being recruited out of the state and, together, the leaders of the MHSAA and MAC took the proactive step to ensure that their schools and coaches have the necessary education and tools to address the issue. We are proud of this new partnership and look forward to helping all coaches throughout the state of Mississippi develop the most successful NIL strategies for their student-athletes.”

Each school can register at ecckersports.com for an annual license that provides access to all of its administrators and coaches from every sport. The comprehensive service starts with a video curriculum of six module courses online that will educate users on the history of NIL, key terms and concepts, and best practices.

Additionally, the Eccker Sports resource hub has the most detailed library of NIL information for the high school market, including articles, state laws, abstracts, summaries, bylaws, interpretations, as well as college and university policies and procedures. Coach Assist offers high school coaches NIL presentation templates, one-pagers and other tools to help them educate their communities. Finally, the company is building a network of legal, financial and tax experts to help families build and execute an effective NIL plan.

Coaches and administrators throughout the state will be able to demo the Eccker Sports platform during the MAC’s multi-sports clinic in Flowood July 12-15. Prukop is also scheduled to speak on NIL during the Lead with Knowledge session on July 13.