Meeting with St. Edward's AD

I met with Pete Kahler, the Athletic Director at St. Edward's high school in Lakewood ,Ohio. St. Eds is a catholic, all boys school, which has a long history of athletic success. Sitting down with Pete, I outlined by project and purpose. We discussed some of the information I had found that might be most interesting to him and his students. Pete also had a number of questions that I had not considered. From the perspective of a high school AD in a state where high school students are not permitted to engage in NIL activities, there were a number of questions that focused on some hypothetical situations. Pete was concerned that if (and possibly when depending on who you ask) Ohio allows NIL at the high school level, that this could result in some new problems for him and his coaches and students. First, he was concerned about issues surrounding recruiting. Could this become another tool used by competing schools to poach athletes. Transferring student athletes can be disruptive to an entire team. Another concern was whether the school could be punished should a rogue actor who has some interest in the school (alumni, local business owner, etc.) who runs afoul of any rules and regulations. Student athletes who similarly violate any rules surrounding potential NIL activity could risk their eligibility, which is a concern of high school ADs. On the other side, Pete and I discussed how his school and others could be at a disadvantage while/if Ohio continues to prohibit high school NIL. Pennsylvania recently passed rules that allow NIL activity at the high school level. While not likely to occur at a significant pace, there could be a prospective student in the area who decides to move across state boarders to a similar school if that student has the ability to earn significant NIL money. With high school athletic departments already spread thin, even at wealthier schools, the potential issues of high school NIL could add to their work.