West Virginia Just Opened the NIL Door to Middle & High School Athletes and Here’s What That Means for Families

By: Kalei Mahi

Imagine being 15 and signing your first endorsement deal before you even take the SAT. That’s now a reality in West Virginia.

As of August 11, 2025, West Virginia became the first state to allow middle and high school athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). The policy was approved by the state board in July and officially takes effect today. It sets clear eligibility guidelines to protect amateur status while leaving room for adjustments as NIL rules continue to evolve.

Why This Policy Matters

For young athletes, the door to NIL deals has typically stayed locked until they committed to a college program. Now, a freshman quarterback could partner with a local car dealership, or a sophomore volleyball player could collaborate with a regional apparel brand. These opportunities can help fund training, travel, and exposure without forcing families to relocate for better access to resources.

It’s also a retention strategy. For years, states have watched their top talent leave for better recruiting pipelines or stronger NIL markets elsewhere. West Virginia’s new policy gives athletes a reason to stay and build their brand locally.

The Opportunity and the Risk

I’ve been saying for a long time that NIL education needs to start earlier. West Virginia just made that possible by allowing talented athletes to monetize their brand as early as middle school.

This creates exciting possibilities, but it also opens the door for bad actors to take advantage of young athletes and their families. Without proper guidance, it’s easy to sign contracts that undervalue an athlete’s worth, lock them into long-term commitments that limit their growth, or put academics and eligibility at risk.

How Families Can Navigate the New NIL Landscape

That’s where my work with NextGen Legacy NIL comes in. I help athletes and their families:

• Cut through the noise and understand the fine print in contracts

• Build a personal brand that aligns with their values and grows with them as they begin to settle into who they are as young adults

• Prioritize academics and athletic performance alongside NIL growth

• Create a long-term strategy so early deals don’t limit future opportunities

• Provide access to financial advisors, NIL legal experts, licensed child psychologists, and wellness experts to serve the whole athlete, not just part

The earlier we start building that strategy, the better positioned an athlete is to grab the right opportunities without sacrificing eligibility, education, or long-term goals.

What Happens Next

The challenge now is execution. Will schools and families have the resources and awareness to make smart decisions? Can they balance NIL activity with education and long-term athlete development?

The answers to those questions will determine whether West Virginia’s decision becomes a model for other states or a cautionary tale.

West Virginia took the first step. The rest of the country is watching closely to see if it’s a monster step forward or just another splashy headline.

Legacy Frogs at TCU: A Student-Led Approach to NIL Support and Athlete Branding

By Kalei Mahi

What happens when you combine a campus full of motivated student-athletes with business majors who are itching to put their lectures and homework into practice?

You get something like Legacy Frogs - a student-run NIL initiative at Texas Christian University that’s redefining how student-athletes can build their brands and how universities can support them from within.

What is Legacy Frogs?

Launched in 2024 by three business students through TCU’s Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Legacy Frogs pairs student-athletes with peers in business and marketing. Their mission is to help athletes create high-quality content, navigate NIL opportunities, and strengthen their personal brand without relying on outside agencies.

Why Legacy Frogs Matters

Athletes Get Direct Support: Student-athletes struggle to keep up with brand content demands on top of their training and class schedules. Legacy Frogs gives them an in-house option to film content, brainstorm ideas, and get help executing their strategy quickly and efficiently.

Students Gain Experience: For business students involved, this isn’t theoretical work they learned about in their lectures. IT’s marketing, content creation and brand building in action. They learn valuable skills that translate to future careers. They become part of a growing network of alumni who understand NIL from both sides.

It Helps TCU Stand Out in Recruiting: In the competitive world of college recruiting and retention, NIL support is a big factor. Imagine a family choosing between two schools. One offers a basic NIL portal with limited to no support. The other has a student-led content team ready to help from day one. Legacy Frogs gives TCU a big edge.

Challenges to Watch

Like any grassroots program, Legacy Frogs has a few hurdles:

• Maintaining content quality across different student contributors

• Keeping up with NCAA compliance guidelines

• Ensuring proper oversight as the initiative grows

While the program is currently volunteer-driven and not tied to academic credit or compensation, any expansion would need to carefully navigate potential conflicts of interest.

Why This Should Be on Your Radar

Whether you’re in NIL strategy, college marketing, or sports business development, initiatives like Legacy Frogs offer a look into what’s next. Schools that invest in student-powered NIL infrastructure are creating more than just content. They’re also creating opportunity.

Legacy Frogs proves that a campus-based, collaborative approach can support athletes and develop future marketing leaders at the same time.