Dear Ones, We are gathered here today to share our grief and deep loss. As we stand together on this solemn occasion, our hearts heavy with the weight of grief, we find solace in each other's presence and the memories we cherish. Today we're here to celebrate the existence of high school football. The existence of high school football has benefited many of us in countless ways.
Sadly, high school football is the sport we once knew and loved. The sport that taught so many of us about hard work, teamwork, chemistry, camaraderie, resilience in the face of adversity, and discipline that endures far beyond the sound of the coach's whistle was announced earlier this week. Passed away.
The death knell came at a Florida High School Athletic Association meeting, where a proposal was introduced that would allow high school athletes to receive compensation for their name, image and likeness (NIL). This proposal is merely a formality. That's because Florida is fully expected to join more than 30 other states in allowing high school students to receive NIL contracts (cash for playing football, basketball, etc.).
“It's coming; it's inevitable,” John Brantley, the longtime football coach at Ocala Trinity Catholic High School, told me earlier this week. “None of the coaches I talk to like it, but we better get used to it and adapt to it.”
Is nothing sacred anymore?
Is there nothing that can escape the corruption of money?
Can't we have another safe haven from the greedy, ruthless, win-at-all-costs mentality that already taints college and professional sports?
At least you understand what it means to be paid to play in college football. College football is a thriving billion-dollar business where coaches make $10 million a year and historically everyone else makes a pretty good salary, except for the players, of course. Can anyone sensibly argue against college football players getting a share of a multibillion-dollar pie?
but High school soccer?
Really?
seriously?
why?
Not everyone is getting rich playing high school football, especially in Florida.
Heck, high school coaches in Florida are being paid a meager salary of about $5,000 and are flocking to other states (see state championship-winning Daytona Beach Mainland coach Travis Rowland, who is a Georgia coach). (He just announced that he has accepted the head coaching position at Camden County High School) so they can make a decent living.
And don't even ask high school assistant coaches what they make.
That's too embarrassing a question for them to answer.
If the NIL passes and Florida's top prep players begin receiving salaries, they will actually earn more than the state pays high school coaches. In fact, there's a good chance that a five-star high school wide receiver makes more money than a high school teacher or principal.
Can you imagine a wizened old coach showing up to practice in a beat-up old Ford Fiesta and a high school quarterback pulling up next to him in a brand new 2024 Tesla SUV?
It would be different if most high school athletes negotiated true NIL contracts with, say, a local pizza place that agreed to pay every offensive lineman $100 a week to recommend pizza. But you know what happens, right? Just like in college football, players will soon turn into unbound, unregulated free agents who simply get paid to play for that school and for that institution.
College boosters with big money will put money into their best player in 9th or 10th grade and steer him to Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, etc. . Or worse, an overzealous high school booster will end up paying. The four-star running back will be paid either $5,000 or $10,000 and will be transferred across town.
A coach at a rural high school in the state recently told me that one of his boosters is a rancher and has enough “NIL” to fight off the big schools trying to raid his roster. He said he is already planning to sell the cows to raise funds. Can you imagine selling your favorite dairy cow, Ol’ Bessie, to stop quarterback Billy “Sweetie” Simmons from transferring to Winfrinity Academy?
What makes Florida's situation even worse than some other states is that Florida currently has “open enrollment,” meaning children attend nearby schools that are zoned. There is no longer a legal obligation. When you combine open enrollment and pay-for-play, high schools have a nonstop transfer portal with a revolving door that rivals even their college versions.
“High school transfers are already a big issue,” Brantley explained. “High school players can go wherever they want and go wherever they want. You could go to work today and find out that half the team is transferring.
“It's frustrating. … You're letting schools raise a lot of money and then they're going to go win state championships themselves. That's not how high school football should be.”
For many of us, high school sports were a time in our lives when we teamed up with other kids we grew up with, forming lifelong bonds and creating timeless memories. We built treehouse forts together, skinned our knees, and both fell in love with Becky Rivers at the same time in eighth grade. We played together in Pop Warner, Jaybee, and Varsity and took the same classes together with the same teachers.
we were family.
So?
The best players will attend one high school this year, another high school next year, and another high school the year after. All in the name of NIL – a lurking evil influence.
Dear friends, we gather in the bleachers today to mourn the passing of this timeless institution that shaped the character of millions of young boys throughout American history.
As we dim the lights on Friday Night, let's all bow our heads and say goodbye to the high school football we once knew.
Email us at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Contact X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show weekdays from 6-9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740, 969TheGame.com/listen.
