Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Teddy Bridgewater Act into law Friday, allowing public school head coaches in the state to use their own money to help student-athletes with certain welfare needs. The law came after Bridgewater, the former NFL quarterback and Miami Northwestern coach, was suspended in 2025 after he publicly said he had paid for players' meals, ride-share services and recovery treatments.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the “Teddy Bridgewater Act” into law on Friday, per @AP, meaning high school coaches in the state will now be able to use their own money to help their players with expenses such as food, transportation, physical therapy and rehabilitation… pic.twitter.com/pDlPIgwl8N
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 23, 2026
What the new law allows
Senate Bill 178 requires the Florida High School Athletic Association to adopt bylaws allowing coaches to use personal funds, in good faith, to support the welfare of players they coach. The money can be used for things such as food, transportation and recovery services. The law takes effect July 1.
Coaches can spend up to $15,000 per athletic team per year. The benefits must be reported, can't be used for recruiting and can still be treated as an impermissible benefit if the spending is not reported, not done in good faith or tied to recruiting.
The law creates a protected lane for coaches who are trying to help players with basic needs, while still giving the FHSAA oversight.
Bridgewater's situation became the example lawmakers used for change
Bridgewater coached Miami Northwestern to a Class 3A state championship in 2024, his first season leading his alma mater. In 2025, Miami Northwestern suspended him after he revealed that he had personally paid for things such as Uber rides, meals and recovery services for players.
Bridgewater posted on social media about providing rides and meals, Miami Northwestern self-reported the benefits, and the FHSAA determined that its impermissible-benefits rules had been violated. Miami Northwestern deemed Bridgewater ineligible to coach for the 2025-26 school year and was fined $2,500, with most of the fine held in abeyance if there were no other violations.
The case then became a debate over whether Florida's high school rules were too rigid for coaches working with players who may need help getting to practice, eating before games or recovering from injuries.
Bridgewater is now back in the NFL. The Detroit Lions signed him as an unrestricted free agent in March.
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