On July 1, 2021, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) officially allowed for high school athletes in New York, to make money off of their name, image, and likeness (NIL). NYSPHSAA spokesman Chris Watson stated their reasoning behind this by saying, “It was let’s get in front of this, let’s be proactive instead of reactive. At some point, a student-athlete (in New York State) is going to have the opportunity.”

Since 2021, many notable student-athletes in New York have received NIL such as Ian “Captain Jack” Jackson and Boogie Fland. In winter of 2021, both Captain Jack and Boogie were the first New York City based high schoolers to land NIL deals. 

Both were sophomores at the time at their respective Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) schools. They both received an NIL deal with a social media company called Spreadshop in which they received thousands of dollars per month. With this company they are able to make their own personal brand under the business’s name. Zach Bowman, the Spreadshop business development manager stated that they will receive thousands of dollars per month for the next six months. In order to get this money, the athletes must post at least one social media post per week in which they identify themselves as Spreadshop athletes. 

In addition, according to The New York Post, Archbishop Stepinac, the school Boogie Fland goes to, “partnered with Accelerate Sports Ventures to educate student athletes about NIL and how they can potentially make money themselves.” This could be a huge step in the right direction for NY schools to raise awareness for student-athletes making money based on their sport.

Pelham student athletes have had collaborations with different social media apps such as Mia Orlando with nXlvl which is a social media app that connects athletes. Other Pelham student-athletes have the opportunity to use NIL to their benefit or have collaborations. A student athlete can possibly post on Instagram about their experience at a local Pelham restaurant and receive maybe a coupon or free meal. Maybe a student-athlete can create their own merchandise and sell it to their fellow students. The amount of opportunities NIL presents to high school student-athletes is endless.