Bayliss Flynn becomes first Minnesota high school athlete to sign NIL deal
MINNEAPOLIS - Bayliss Flynn is a senior-to-be at Edina High school and plays goalie on the Hornets’ girls soccer team.
She just turned 17 years old on Tuesday, and made history Wednesday, becoming the first Minnesota high school athlete to sign an endorsement deal. Late last week, the Minnesota State High School League approved a name, image and likeness policy for high school athletes.
"I just want people at my age to know that this is possible, that they can be inspired to work hard in their sport and be rewarded. Because they couldn’t be rewarded financially from businesses and companies before," Flynn said Wednesday.
Flynn signed a deal with TruStone Financial and will promote the credit union’s debit card. She’ll serve as a voice for financial education and literacy for teenagers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and her obligations remain a work in progress.
"We’re truly excited from TruStone Financial to work with Bayliss as the first organization to work in this capacity. A school student of Bayliss’s caliber, she’s quite a talent," TruStone Financial President and CEO Dale Turner said.
Flynn is also a keeper for Minnesota Aurora FC, the state’s first pre-professional women’s soccer team. Flynn first met officials with TruStone Financial at the team’s uniform kit reveal back in April.
In addition to being a soccer standout for the Hornets, Flynn participates in track at Edina, plays soccer for a club team in addition to the Aurora and is a 4.0 student. As a junior, she earned All-State, All-Metro and All-Conference honors for the Edina soccer team, which went 20-1 last fall to be No. 1 in the state and one of the best teams in the country.
She’ll be a captain for the Hornets’ girls soccer team next season, and is verbally committed to play soccer at Montana.
She’s likely the first of many high school athletes in Minnesota to get endorsement deals.
"I would say it makes sports a lot more important for the community. It adds a more serious aspect, and it will definitely elevate everyone’s game," Flynn said.
Edina soccer coach Katie Aafedt says Flynn is the perfect candidate to get the first endorsement deal, especially for female athletes.
"She has worked so hard to get to where she is today, and it’s amazing to see her be the first woman in Minnesota to sign the NIL. Not only as a high school athlete, but as a female athlete as well. She’s the perfect role model for all of the athletes, especially females, coming up in the ranks behind her," Aafedt said. "You name it, Bay has done it."