Here's how many NC high school athletes have signed NIL deals, including one for $1.2M

A dozen North Carolina high school athletes signed name, image and likeness deals in the months that they’ve been legal in the state — with at least one deal for more than $1 million.

That’s according to a summary of NIL deals included in the State Board of Education’s latest meeting materials.

The mother of star Greensboro Grimsley High School quarterback Faizon Brandon sued the state in August over its prohibition on public school student-athletes profiting off their name, image and likeness. A Wake County judge granted a preliminary injunction in October that allowed athletes to sign deals.

The state board requires athletes to report the deals to their schools, the schools to report them to their governing body and the governing body to provide a summary to the state board by June 30 each year.

According to the summary, 12 athletes at 11 North Carolina High School Athletic Association schools signed a total of 17 NIL deals. The agreements range from nutritional and sports drinks to apparel and equipment. One deal was a $1.2-million, two-year deal.

The list doesn’t provide information about individual athletes, the schools they attend or the companies that they have signed deals with. It is possible that other athletes have signed deals that were not reported.

In the lawsuit, the Brandon family said that “a prominent national trading card company” had agreed to pay the quarterback “a substantial amount of money” in exchange for signing memorabilia prior to his high school graduation. The complaint said the cumulative financial impact to Brandon was more than $1 million.

The deal would provide Brandon and his family “with financial security for years to come,” according to the lawsuit. Brandon signed a deal with Leaf Trading Cards, the company announced in June.

Brandon, who is committed to Tennessee, is the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the country for the Class of 2026, according to 247Sports. Brandon has his own line of apparel, adorned with his logo, for sale on his website.

The NCHSAA has 442 member schools.

It reported zero NIL violations in its summary.

The Carolina Athletic Association for Schools of Choice (CAA4SC) reported zero NIL deals among athletes at its 20 member schools.

The state board meets Wednesday and Thursday in Raleigh. The summary report on NIL activity is among the items on the agenda.