DOVER, Del.- The future of a contentious issue in Delaware high school sports might not be determined on the field but within Legislative Hall. A state senator has drafted legislation aiming to prevent private and public schools from competing against each other.
Delaware's Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) has been contemplating permitting high school athletes to sign name, image and likeness (NIL) deals, a practice already allowed in neighboring states.
However, Senator Eric Buckson (R-Dover) believes this could lead to unfair advantages.
NIL deals include things like promoting brands, signing autographs and showing up at events. According to Buckson, paying amateur athletes for these gigs is, "not right, not fair and not necessary."
He argues it would further advantage private schools which he claims already have the upper hand due to open enrollment and recruitment practices.
"You have 65 percent of all state championships in the state of Delaware won by private schools... When you add NIL and another advantage for private schools to hold that is not going to work," he said.
His bill would direct the DIAA to segregate all public and private championship-sanctioned events. Buckson plans to introduce it if the board approves new NIL regulations this week, regulations DIAA board member Lenny Richardson believes are highly probable.
"NIL is coming," Richardson noted.
While many other states, including Maryland, separate private and public athletic conferences, Richardson deems such segregation impractical in Delaware due to insufficient schools for separation.
Buckson asserts that the legislation is his last resort: "It is the only option I have as a legislator to deal with what I think is a mistake."
The DIAA will vote on Thursday whether to permit high schoolers to sign NIL deals. Buckson intends to delay introducing his bill pending that decision.