NIL & NCAA�INFORMATION�NIGHT

Presented by

Reid Guarnieri�Kenston Athletic Director

May 13, 2026

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

• Education
• BA in Communications, Liberal Studies from Cleveland State University
• JD from Cleveland State University
• High School Experience
• Athletic Director at Kenston High School – 9 years
• Member of the OHSAA Board of Directors – 1 year
• College Experience
• Compliance Assistant at NCAA D1 Cleveland State University Athletics – 2 years
• Assistant Athletic Director at NCAA D2 Notre Dame College – 3 years
• Taught upper level Sports Law and Management courses – 2 years
• Director of Athletics at NCAA D2 Lake Erie College – 4 years
• Professional Experience
• Cleveland Indians Ballpark Operations Supervisor & Baseball Operations Intern – 7 years
• In-house Counsel and financial advisor at private investment firm whose clients included NBA and NFL athletes
• Additional Expertise
• Guest speaker at the Great Lakes Sports and Entertainment Law Academy – 3 years
• Was recruited SA out of high school; raising two daughters who play sports

Reid Guarnieri

INTRODUCTION TO NIL

• What is NIL?: Name, Image, Likeness Overview
• Examples of NIL
• OHSAA Policy on NIL
• Who has what responsibilities under NIL law?
• NIL in Motion: Myth vs. Reality
• Q & A

WHAT IS NIL

• The Name, Image, Likeness elements make up the legal concept known as “right to publicity.”
• This gives a person the right to control the commercial use of their personal brand to make money or earn other benefits.

EXAMPLES OF NIL

• Personal appearances
• Endorsements of a product or service
• Sale of personal brand merchandise
• Representation in video game
• Featured speaker at an event
• Autograph sessions

OHSAA POLICY ON NIL

• A student may enter into an NIL deal provided all are met:
• Student does not utilize OHSAA or Kenston logos or word marks or imply involvement from either
• Agreement is not arranged by an OHSAA or Kenston school member or agent (e.g. collectives, KAB, Kenston Foundation, administrators, coaches)
• Activity does not take place during school hours or OHSAA/Kenston sports-related activity (e.g. video footage of game performance)
• Not based on specific performance (e.g. $1 for every point or goal scored)
• Payment is not provided as inducement to attend a particular school
• No product or service placement during official team activity
• Student is only recipient of the benefit (not team, teammates, or school)
• Subject matter restrictions (gambling, alcohol, firearms, banned/illegal behaviors)
• On the student to determine impact on post-high school eligibility

NIL PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Kenston
• Provide information
• This presentation
• Website
• FinalForms Registration
• Educate against recruiting inducement
• Report violations to OHSAA
• Student-Athlete
• Be informed
• Arrange own deals
• Report deals to OHSAA
• 14 days
• 20% eligibility penalty for non-disclosure
• Indefinite penalty for recruiting inducement
• Perform under the contract

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NIL: MYTH VS. REALITY

• A vast majority of Ohio student-athletes are not receiving NIL deals
• A vast majority of student-athletes actually under contract are in small-scale ($500 or less value) deals
• Elite national top 100 student-athletes can expect to realistically cash in on significant deals, but those are extreme examples
• Most student-athletes can make use of the concept to sharpen life skills and prepare for college-level deals or non-playing careers in sports

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email: reid.guarnieri@kenstonapps.org�

INTRODUCTION TO RECRUITING

• JUCO/NAIA/NCAA I, II, III – we will focus on NCAA tonight
• High School Timeline
• Initial NCAA Eligibility Standards – D1 vs. D2 vs. D3
• Choosing the right pool of schools
• Scholarships
• Contact Guidelines
• Recruiting in Motion: Myth vs. Reality
• NIL in College
• Strategies

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JUCO/NAIA/NCAA

• Junior College (“JUCO”): two-year institutions who may offer athletic scholarships; associate’s degrees
• Bryant & Stratton, Lakeland CC, Lorain CC Tri-C
• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA): four-year institutions who may offer athletic scholarships; typically smaller (1,500 student avg.), private (83%), and often faith-based (65%) campuses that offer a better balance between sports and academics
• Defiance, Lourdes, Mount Vernon Nazarene, Rio Grande
• NCAA D-I (37%): four-year institutions who may offer multi-year athletic scholarships with extremely intense, year-round athletic activities; 4.5% SA population
• Cleveland State, Dayton, Kent State, Miami, Ohio State
• NCAA D-II (24%): four-year institutions who may offer annually renewable athletic scholarships with intense, year-round athletic activities; 14.3% SA population
• Ashland, Findlay, Lake Erie, Tiffin, Ursuline, Walsh
• NCAA D-III (38%): four-year institutions who cannot offer athletic scholarships with less-intense, season-long athletic activities; 20% SA population
• BW, Case Western, John Carroll, Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan, Wittenberg, Wooster

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HIGH SCHOOL TIMELINE

• 9^th Grade
• Register for the NCAA Eligibility Center (EC)
• Discuss interest in playing college sports with coach
• Discuss NCAA-approved core courses with guidance counselor
• Review the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete
• Begin to receive direct contact (calls, texts, emails) from D-II and D-III institutions
• 10th Grade
• If D-I or D-II interest, expand your account in EC
• Research admissions requirements and begin to build pool of schools
• Ask guidance counselor to begin regularly uploading your official transcripts to the EC
• Begin to receive direct contact from D-I schools and schedule official visits with D-II schools after June 15

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HIGH SCHOOL TIMELINE

• 11^th Grade
• Beginning August 1, schedule an official visit at a D-I school
• Beginning January 1, schedule an official visit with a D-III school
• Ensure sports participation record is accurate in EC
• Discuss NCAA-approved courses, ensure on pace to graduate on time, ask for upload of official transcript with guidance counselor
• Provide your NCAA ID to interested recruiters to be placed on the Institutional Request List (IRL)
• Request meeting with Athletic Director to discuss recruitment
• 12th Grade
• Apply for admission to your schools of interest
• Ask guidance counselor to upload your final official transcript and proof of graduation to the EC
• Beginning April 1 (or October 1 if graduating early), request a final athletics certification from the EC
• Commit in writing to the college of your choice

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INITIAL NCAA ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS

• D-I:
• 16 approved core course credits
• HS graduation within 8 semesters
• 10/7 requirement (10 approved courses, 7 of which are in English, math, science before the start of your 7^th semester)
• 2.3 GPA within core courses
• Amateurism certification
• D-II:
• 16 approved core course credits
• 2.2 GPA within core courses
• Amateurism certification
• D-III:
• Amateurism certification

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCHOOL

• Academic resources and programs
• Field of study
• Tutoring
• Mental health, sports psychology
• Career opportunities
• Out-of-Pocket Cost vs. Athletic Scholarships – more on this on next slide
• Campus environment
• College Town or Urban
• Small or Big
• Near or Far
• Conference Schedule
• Athletic training resources and facilities
• Time demands
• Playing time
• Coaching (carousel)

SCHOLARSHIPS

• JUCO, NAIA, D-I, D-II offer athletic aid
• D-III do not offer athletic aid but sometimes can offer “talent grants”
• Cost of Attendance:
• Tuition and fees
• Food and housing
• Books
• Course related supplies

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• Degree completion after eligibility exhausted
• Graduate Assistantships: leg-ups for careers in coaching or sports management

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CONTACT GUIDELINES

• Contact period (D-I, D-II):
• Calls, texts, emails
• In-person evaluation
• On-campus visits
• High school and face-to-face visits off campus
• Evaluation period (D-I): same as above but only on-campus visits
• Quiet period (D-I): no evaluations
• Dead period: only calls, texts, emails
• Official Visit: transportation, lodging, meals, entertainment/tickets
• Unofficial Visit: meals (not at D-I), tickets

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RECRUITING: MYTH vs. REALITY

• M: I have to be an elite athlete from 9^th grade on
• R: Michael Jordan was cut from his varsity basketball team as a freshman
• R: physicality undergoes immense change during your four years in high school
• R: on really talented teams, your abilities might not be showcased until later in your career
• Ryan Gilbert had five varsity at-bats before his senior year at Kenston and earned a scholarship to Indiana University
• M: I must specialize to get the best scholarship possible
• R: College coaches prefer multisport athletes
• R: Playing multiple sports showcases superior athleticism, higher sports IQ, better mental toughness, ability to relate to different sets of teammates/coaching philosophies, acceptance of a variety of team roles, time management skills
• R: those who do not specialize allow different muscle groups to rest and strengthen, reducing the risk of overuse injuries and mental burnout
• R: if one sport does not lead to scholarship, another might, or better yet – colleges can split “team equivalency” amongst multiple sports

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RECRUITING: MYTH vs. REALITY

• M: I need to make a decision and verbally commit as soon as possible
• R: With the transfer portal, the timeline in recruiting has shifted
• Colleges: retain own SAs, 4-YR transfers, JUCO transfers, early HS grads, HS seniors, HS juniors
• R: Verbal commitment is worth nothing from the college, should not be worth much to you either
• R: Accepting a written offer is what matters
• M: I should pick the school based on which coach I like best
• R: Average tenure of a college coach is 3.3 years; they might be gone before you even arrive
• M: If I don’t like it, I can just enter the transfer portal, switch teams easily, and keep all of my athletic aid
• R: Of the D-I students who entered the portal in 2024, only 66% transferred to a new school, 24% were left with no scholarship or went D-III

RECRUITING: MYTH vs. REALITY

• M: D-I OR BUST!
• R: Scholarships are also available at JUCO, NAIA, NCAA-II institutions
• R: Last nine years of Kenston graduates
• 32 D-I
• 25 D-II
• 54 D-III
• 1 NAIA
• 4 JUCO

NIL IN COLLEGE

• Early Negotiations: Recruits can officially negotiate and sign NIL deals before enrolling at a specific school; payments can start July 1
• Direct School Payment: D-I schools can directly pay student-athletes, with up to $20.5M per school available annually for NIL
• Rules on Inducement: the high school prohibitions against NIL as a recruiting inducement are lifted, making it a "pay-for-play" system
• High School Rules: High school recruits must follow state-specific laws regarding NIL (cannot accept compensation during remaining period of eligibility)

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RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES

• Determine your realistic talent level
• Kenston coaches and AD, club coaches, camps
• Multisport participation
• For all of the reasons discussed earlier
• Be your own best advocate
• Be proactive in your contacts with college coaches
• Develop highlight and personal message videos
• Do your research
• Go to athletics websites to learn more about teams and coaches and get contact information
• Communicate well and be responsive
• Treat every school like their your first choice
• Work harder in the classroom than you do on the field
• Conduct yourself in a positive manner at all times, especially including social media
• Attend camps and gain exposure through travel or club play when possible (but don’t burn out or burn a bridge)
• Get on campus, take tours, arrange unofficial/official visits

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email: reid.guarnieri@kenstonapps.org�