NIL Explained: What High School Athletes & Parents Need to Know | Varsity Voices

Name, Image, and Likeness — better known as NIL — is changing the landscape of high school sports faster than ever. But what does NIL really mean for student-athletes and their families?

In this episode of THE Varsity Voices Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Scott Grant, one of the nation’s leading voices in high school NIL education and personal branding.

Dr. Grant is a former high school teacher, athletic director, varsity head coach, and school board member who now serves as an award-winning professor at The University of Findlay, specializing in educational leadership, marketing, and social media. He is also the founder of Triple Threat Leadership, where he helps schools and student-athletes understand NIL, leadership, and brand building the right way.

In this conversation, we break down:

• What NIL actually is (and what it is not) at the high school level

• Why personal branding matters long before college recruiting

• Common NIL myths that parents and athletes still believe

• How student-athletes can build value without chasing shortcuts

• Why NIL education is about life skills, not just money

Through his nationally recognized “Branding of ME” program, Dr. Grant has helped nearly 10,000 high school student-athletes build proactive, positive, and authentic personal brands — lessons that extend far beyond sports.

Whether you’re a high school athlete, a parent navigating NIL questions, or a coach trying to guide players responsibly, this episode provides clarity, perspective, and practical insight you won’t want to miss.

🎙️ THE Varsity Voices Podcast — covering high school sports, NIL, recruiting, and the Chicago Catholic League.

#NIL #HighSchoolSports #StudentAthlete #AthleteBranding

#VarsityVoices #HighSchoolFootball #Recruiting