How Wisconsin high schools are navigating NIL for student-athletes
While dozens of high school NIL deals have been announced in some states, Wisconsin has seen only a handful of athletes publicly announce a deal in the new policy’s first year. Two Wisconsin athletes with deals are Darcy Doyle and Isaac Miller.
Doyle, a lacrosse player at the University School of Milwaukee, signed the state’s first known high school NIL deal with Walny Legal Group a little over a year ago. Doyle was followed by Miller, a football player at Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha who partnered with Iron Joc, a Wisconsin-based athletic apparel company.
Ian Folger, a spokesperson for the Madison Metropolitan School District, said he is aware of at least one high school NIL deal in the district. Asked how involved the district is in the NIL process, Folger said school officials direct families and students with questions to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, or WIAA, which has rules about how deals can be managed and brokered.
The WIAA’s new NIL policy, approved in May 2025, says students may not contract with a representative or agent, and school employees are explicitly prohibited from facilitating deals for student-athletes.
