College Counseling x NIL Education in Michigan

Adanna N. Smith, M.A., M.S., President-Elect, Michigan ACAC & Jeff Hiser, Founder of Polaris Athlete

I’m really excited for what is to come in regards to College Counseling x NIL Education.

Leaving the Michigan Association for College Admission Counseling (MACAC) Annual Conference this year, one thing is clear. NIL is no longer a future conversation. It is already shaping how student-athletes experience the transition from high school to college and from college to career.

At Polaris Athlete, we see this moment as an inflection point. NIL is expanding how student-athletes prepare for college, careers, and life beyond sport. We believe education must lead the way so every student-athlete has the opportunity to navigate it with clarity and confidence.

A Defining Moment in the Transition Process

MACAC has always centered its work on supporting students through the transition to post-secondary opportunities. I felt the energy and saw the passion for that mission while I was in Detroit. That work now includes a new layer.

NIL is introducing real-world decision-making into the high school experience. Student-athletes are learning how to evaluate opportunities, understand their value, manage competing priorities, and navigate identity in a more public way. This is happening earlier than ever before.

When the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) approved its NIL policy, referred to as Personal Branding Activity (PBA), on January 27, 2026, it allowed high school student-athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness for the first time.

This is even more reason why the role of counselors, educators, and coaches has never been more important. The transition to college is no longer only academic. It is increasingly professional.

The Opportunity and the Responsibility

Not every student-athlete enters the NIL space with the same level of access, exposure, or support. That reality cannot be ignored. That’s why we built a platform for student-athlete success. Polaris Athlete Hub provides student-athletes with college counseling tools and NIL education.

With our approach, NIL can expand opportunity and create more equitable pathways for student-athletes to explore their futures.

And this aligns directly with MACAC’s commitment to access and equity, as well as its emphasis on ethical and socially responsible practice in the transition process. At Polaris Athlete, we believe equity in NIL starts with education because every student-athlete deserves to understand not just what is possible, but how to approach it responsibly.

The Role of the School-Based Professional

As a former school counselor and director of college counseling, I’m especially mindful of how much responsibility our counselors carry across all facets of the role. With the NIL space rapidly evolving and how much noise students and families are navigating, it makes the role of the school-based professional even more important, not less.

Counselors are often the steady, trusted voice in the process.

This work is not about becoming an NIL expert overnight. It is about helping students slow down, think critically, and understand both the opportunities and the responsibilities that come with building a personal brand. It is about asking questions like: Does this align with your values? How does this impact your eligibility? What are the long-term implications?

School-based professionals are uniquely positioned to keep the focus where it belongs: on the student as a whole person. That means balancing athletic opportunity with academic priorities, personal development, and future goals. NIL can be a powerful tool, but only when approached with clarity, structure, and support.

At its best, this is an extension of what counselors have always done: guiding students through high-stakes decisions with care, perspective, and a long-term lens. And as I’m writing this mid-flight on my way back to Austin, TX, I’m genuinely excited about the impact we’re about to make as a counseling profession. 

Thank you, MACAC. Looking forward to seeing you next year!