Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs "Teddy Bridgewater Act" bill into law
On3 • • sports
Key Points:
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 178, known as the "Teddy Bridgewater Act," allowing K-12 public school head coaches to use up to $15,000 of their own money to support student-athlete welfare with parental consent.
- The bill permits coaches to fund expenses such as food, transportation, and recovery services for middle and high school athletes.
- The legislation was inspired by Teddy Bridgewater, former Miami Northwestern head football coach and current Detroit Lions quarterback, who sought to personally support his players' needs during his coaching tenure.
- Bridgewater faced suspension for the 2025-26 school year due to allegations of providing impermissible benefits, including paying for Uber rides, recovery services, and pre-game meals out of pocket.
- Despite the controversy, Bridgewater led Miami Northwestern to the 2024 FHSAA Class 3A state championship, their first state title since 2019.